The Rainbow After the Storm: CDO’s Home Care for Girls (Part 1)

By Maia Fortich-Poblete

In my high school and college years, back in the 80s, one of my fondest dreams was to work in or establish an orphanage. I found the daily routine and activities of an orphanage or a home care center especially interesting and fulfilling. Of course, that was way before I realized all the hard work and expenses involved in setting up your own orphanage!

This dream is the reason why I always try to find time to help or support groups that are dedicated to helping special homes – be it for children, for adults, for our lolos and lolas, for single parents, or for the abused.

So when my aunt invited me to join them one Monday for a special celebration with the children of Home Care for Girls, I immediately said yes. Auntie Wally (Walter) and her batchmates from Lourdes College High School 1974 were treated the center’s girls to a whole day party at Casa de Canitoan last February 11 – and I was there with them. I witnessed all the fun and excitement and felt all the love that overflowed that day.

I’m sharing that experience with you in a two-part feature here on MimaiScribbles.

Home Care for Girls

Before I tell you all about LCHS ‘74’s Rainbow Fest, let me first share with you a brief story about the Home Care for Girls.

Located in Macanhan, the Home Care for Girls is a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-accredited care center for abandoned, abused, and orphaned girls in Cagayan de Oro and region 10. It is a social development center that started years ago, at the time of the previous local government administration (Emano’s), as a venue for livelihood programs and services.

When the city’s problem with street kids started to intensify, the LGU leaders decided it was time to use the place as a safety home for children, specifically for girls. The center works with community-based social workers, who are the ones who refer girls to the CSWD Social Protection Division. It is then the task of CSWD to assess the situation of the child or children.

According to Home Care for Girls’ Julie Orbique, one of the initial things they also try to do is identify the perpetrator. “If the perpetrator is a family member and the child has no other relative who can take care of her or take her in, that’s the time she is brought to the center. Our immediate goal is to find a safe place for the girls.”

At present, Home Care for Girls has 23 girls in their care. When I talked to Julie last February, she told me that their youngest resident is only two years young. “Our youngest is two years old. The oldest is 18. Once they are of legal age, we release them back to the community and if possible, to their families. Our goal is really family reintegration.”

“Actually, the length of stay for our girls should only be six months to one year. However, there are instances when the stay is extended. This is usually what happens when their cases are still ongoing. But now that we have been accredited, we are doing our best to follow this rule.” 

If the girl has no family, relative, or relatives to take care of her after she is released, the CSWD works with community-based social workers as they are the ones in-charge of the children’s after-care. In addition, the center has programs to help the girls’ social and mental development. There are also a lot of livelihood programs intended to help them become creative and productive.

And before they are released back to their family or relatives, the girls undergo an assessment process.

Major Hurdle

For a place like Home Care for Girls, having a solid physical foundation and the right facilities – the best ones – is a big help. This was one of the hurdles they had to go through before they got their level 1 accreditation from DSWD last 2017.

This is where their partnership with Lourdes College High School batch 1974 started. The ladies of LCHS ’74 were able to help bring the once dilapidated home back to life.

And this is what I will be sharing with you next week. J