Taipei City Councilor Qin Huizhu lamented that the number of foster families in Beishi has decreased, and children in Beishi have to be raised by families from other counties and cities.

(From Qin Huizhu's Facebook page)

[Reporter Cai Yahua/Taipei Report] Foster families are facing advanced age and fewer households, and the supply of foster services may be in short supply. North City Councilor Qin Huizhu pointed out that there are currently 109 foster families in Taipei City, 39 in Taipei City and 69 in New Taipei City. One household in Keelung City and one household in Keelung City, but the children in Taipei City have to rely on the help of foster families in other counties and cities to raise them, which is embarrassing.

The Social Affairs Bureau of the Taipei City Government stated that it is developing potential ethnic groups that may be put into service.

Qin Huizhu said that according to the "Taipei City Children and Juvenile Foster Families Management Autonomy Regulations", the age limit of foster family parents is 30 to 65 years old, but in fact it is inevitable for foster family parents over 65 years old. The age of family parents is revised down to 25 years old, and the age limit of 65 years old is removed and changed to an unlimited age limit.

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Qin Huizhu said that parents who are willing to serve as foster families, according to the 109 parents of foster families recorded by the former Beishi Social Bureau, there are 100 families who are over 45 to 75 years old, of which 14 are over 65 to 75 years old, and 45 years old There are only 9 households below. This phenomenon made her lament that because of the good economic conditions, fewer and fewer people in Taipei City are willing to serve as foster parents. As a result, children in Taipei must rely on the help of foster families from other counties and cities to support the disadvantaged. The environment is becoming more and more difficult, and the function of social support is gradually disappearing. In the future, children who need help from foster families will be in a more difficult situation.

Qin Huizhu believes that in addition to proposing amendments to the law to expand the age group of parents in foster families, the social bureau should also spread the word widely and invite families who are able or need to increase their income in Taipei City to apply to become foster families.

The placement fee for a foster family case is 34,233 to 41,829 yuan per month, which is adjusted annually according to the minimum living expenses. There is also a case care fee of 2,000 to 6,000 yuan per month. It is a good choice for families who need to increase their income.

The social bureau responded that the number of foster families has decreased year by year, mainly because housing prices in Beishi have continued to rise, and there is not enough space to provide foster children and care for foster children. The increasing difficulty has led to a heavy burden on foster families.

The people get married and born later, which also means that they are less willing to invest in foster care services.

The social bureau raised the foster care fee this year, allocated special care fees for difficult cases, provided childcare subsidies for preschool foster care cases, guaranteed places in public non-profit kindergartens, and other incentives.

In order to avoid the loss of foster families and recruit new foster families, the social bureau stated that it is currently developing potential groups that may be put into service, such as babysitting associations, religious groups, and retiree associations. The Internet and outdoor media continue to publish recruitment advertisements, Research and develop foster family referral fees.

The Social Affairs Bureau emphasized that in addition to continuing to promote foster care services, in recent years, it has actively expanded group families with children as an alternative resource. Group families adopt a professional family care model. Each family only places 4 children and is equipped with at least 2 caregivers with professional certificates. Manpower, suitable for housing children with behavioral or physical and mental issues.

The age group of parents who are willing to serve as foster families in Beishi is gradually aging.

(Provided by the Office of North City Councilor Qin Huizhu)