New Foreign Domestic Worker Application Rules Take Effect; Childcare Groups Urge Crackdown on Illegal Care

(Central News Agency, Taipei, 11th) The government has relaxed the eligibility criteria for foreign domestic helpers, allowing families with children under the age of 12 to apply. In response, representatives from several childcare groups called today for a strict crackdown on illegal childcare and underground care practices, as well as a review of regulatory policies that they argue are overly concentrated on legal institutions.

Chiang Shu-jung, President of the Republic of China Association of Childcare and Education, held a press conference in Taipei alongside representatives from multiple childcare groups. She pointed to a recent illegal childcare case in Taoyuan, where over 20 young children were being cared for in a space of less than 10 ping (approximately 33 square meters), some by unlicensed individuals and foreign nationals, causing public shock.

Chiang stated that in recent years, the government has continuously intensified oversight of legal daycare centers and kindergartens, for example, requiring surveillance footage to be stored for 30 days and uploaded to the cloud. This has placed legal institutions under long-term high pressure and intense scrutiny, while neglecting the higher-risk, unregulated underground childcare and illegal care facilities.

Childcare groups are concerned that the recent relaxation of foreign domestic worker application conditions will lead to more unlicensed foreign nationals caring for young children. Meanwhile, legal institutions face issues of high pressure, labor shortages, and talent drain, which could force more families to turn to underground childcare in the future.

Lin Hsin-wei, Vice President of the Taiwan Association of Maternity, Infant, and Childcare, pointed out a potential policy loophole. A mother who is qualified in childcare and has a child under 12 can apply for a foreign domestic helper and also take in a few other children for care. In this scenario, she could sit back, drink coffee, and watch shows while the foreign helper takes care of all the children.

Lin also noted that illegal home-based childcare is difficult to inspect, and the authorities should increase manpower, ideally dedicated to tackling illegal situations, as current staff are already overwhelmed just managing legal operators.

Wang Chao-ching, Convener of the Childcare and Employment Policy Promotion Alliance, also believes the new foreign domestic worker policy will inevitably expand the problem of illegal childcare and underground care, urging the government to strengthen management of private childcare.

The childcare groups put forward three demands: strict enforcement against illegal childcare and underground care, strengthening proactive intervention mechanisms for high-risk families and underground care settings, and reviewing regulatory policies that are overly concentrated on legal institutions. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150611