By: Summer Kennard
KOROR, Palau — Lawmakers in Palau are renewing efforts to pass the Rebecca Koshiba Kinship Foster Care Program Act, a bill that would provide stronger protection for children living in unsafe or unstable homes while preserving the family bonds central to Palauan culture.
First introduced in April 2023, the bill is named in honor of the late Rebecca Koshiba, a social worker and longtime Victims of Crimes Assistance Program manager who dedicated her career to supporting children and women in crisis. Koshiba worked tirelessly to improve access to family law courts and to expand services for those facing violence, neglect and hardship.
“This bill is about ensuring that children who do not have stable homes or safe living environments are able to be placed with a foster family who will care for them,” said Sen. Rukebai Inabo, one of the sponsors. “The purpose is to protect children from harm, offer the possibility of reconciliation when families can provide a safe home, and create permanent plans to help them grow into responsible, self-sufficient citizens.”
Inabo said the act seeks to address the growing gap between traditional family responsibilities and modern realities. “Palauan traditional values recognize that blood is the strongest bond, one that has always offered loving support to clan members,” she said. “However, with the growing importance of money and shifting economic realities, some children are being neglected or left behind. It is the responsibility of the government to step in when families cannot provide a safe environment.”
Creating a legal safety net
The Rebecca Koshiba Kinship Foster Care Program Act establishes a clear legal process for placing children with safe guardians when their homes are unsafe due to neglect, violence or other harms. It also sets out legal authority for caregivers, clarifies parental responsibilities, strengthens protections from exploitation, and ensures education for children in care.
Sen. Andrew Tabelual, a co-sponsor, said the law is necessary because informal caregiving arrangements often leave children and guardians legally vulnerable.
“There is a need for a legal framework to enable this process for the government to initiate a way to find a suitable ‘home’ for a child who has been harmed or threatened in their own home,” Tabelual said.
“In a world where minors are under their parents’ legal authority, anyone taking the role of a parent must also have legal authority,” he added. “Without documentation, it creates a serious predicament for both the child and the ‘willing parent.’”
He described the heart of the bill with a traditional saying: “Rokui el ngalek a ousbech ungil delengchokl, lukel a klengar, melechesuar betikerreng e selbechakl,” meaning children must be surrounded by loving, responsible guardianship.
Honoring a lifelong advocate
Koshiba’s youngest daughter, Ole, said the bill reflects her mother’s lifelong commitment to helping others.
“It is a very good bill being introduced,” she said. “During my mother’s time, she helped people of all ages. This program continues that kind of support. When they have an office, we’ll come together as a community and support them as well.”
Keeping children close to family
The bill introduces a “fictive kin” placement system that organizes family members by degree, starting with parents and children and moving outward only when necessary. This structure aims to keep children within culturally familiar and emotionally supportive environments.
The Rebecca Koshiba Kinship Foster Care Program Act is now under further legislative review. If passed, it would mark one of Palau’s most significant efforts to safeguard vulnerable children while strengthening family-based care rooted in tradition.