Premier orders child protection agency establishment review

Taipei, March 21 (CNA) Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) on Thursday ordered a review of proposals to establish a specialized agency that would strengthen the protections afforded to children and youth in Taiwan.

During a Cabinet meeting, Chen instructed Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Men-yen (李孟諺) to hold meetings with representatives from government bodies to discuss the matter, Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) said at a press conference.

The Cabinet order came after news broke in March about a one-year-old boy who died in December, allegedly as a result of being abused over a four-month period by a licensed Taipei nanny serving as his foster caregiver, while the Child Welfare League Foundation tried to find an adoptive family for him.

This case highlights the fact that the country's social safety net needs to be more comprehensive and better executed, Lin said, citing the premier as saying.

According to Chen, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) should conduct a comprehensive review of the placement process for children in foster care, procedures for handling child abuse, as well as clearly delineate the responsibilities of central and local governments.

On a practical level, the role of competent local authorities in charge of social affairs will need to be strengthened, the MOHW said in a news release Thursday.

This includes the supervision of foster caregivers and the institutions they work with, the ministry said.

On a systematic level, local governments should assess the necessity of adoption and arrange for the placement and care of children before their adoption, it said.

They also need to review the frequency of visits to children in foster care by their social workers and formulate relevant guidelines to strengthen supervision.

In terms of the related legal framework, the MOHW said it will propose an amendment to the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act to better enhance child protections in Taiwan.