Looking into the Philippine foster care experience: Trends and challenges

The Filipino family, the fundamental unit of Philippine society, is confronted with pressures of a rapidly changing society. Over the past decades, there have been significant changes in its composition, size, structure, support systems and organization arising from demographic, social and economic changes. Poverty and rapid social change have created stress situations that affect the family’s ability to perform its function of caring and nurturing of children. Of particular concern is the displacement of families arising from rural-urban migration, high unemployment and underemployment and overseas employment. Such displacement has contributed to family instability and disorganization as manifested in reported increases in child abandonment, abuse and neglect, street children, prostitution and family violence involving children as victims.