Illegal Daycare in Taoyuan Fined After 20 Toddlers Found in 10-Ping Space During Raid

(CNA, reporter Wu Rui-chi, Taoyuan, May 19) An illegal daycare center in Taoyuan City that was housing 20 infants and toddlers in a 10-ping space was inspected by city officials and a local councilor on May 18 following a tip-off. The city's Women and Children Development Bureau stated today that it will assist parents in transferring their children to legal facilities, while an infant whose parents could not be contacted has been temporarily placed with the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Center. Kuomintang (KMT) Taoyuan City Councilor Huang Wan-ju pointed out during a general council session today that she, along with personnel from the women and children's bureau, police, and fire departments, conducted a stakeout until midnight last night to raid the illegal daycare, which had previously been shut down but had since reopened elsewhere. The facility was first caught and fined in March for illegally housing infants and toddlers in a community in Taoyuan District, but it subsequently relocated and resumed operations. The small space was overcrowded with children, cared for by only two foreign nationals and one unlicensed female caregiver. The environment was also problematic, seriously endangering the safety of the infants and toddlers. Huang noted that some illegal daycare centers attract parents with offers like "customized services" or "no late-pickup fees," but in reality, they expose children to high-risk environments. In this case, she and the city inspectors had to wait a long time for an opportunity to enter the premises, highlighting the difficulties authorities face in conducting raids due to laws against entering private residences without permission and the inability to obtain search warrants for administrative inspections. Tu Tzu-jung, Director of the Women and Children Development Bureau, said that parents have been contacted to pick up their children and will be assisted in finding legal daycare. The one child whose parents have not yet been reached is temporarily under the care of the prevention center. Although someone at the facility had a kindergarten teacher qualification and the center charged parents NT$5,000 per child per month, it was operating without a license and had multiple violations related to public safety and fire codes. The operator was already fined NT$300,000 and had their name publicly disclosed after being caught in March. They will be fined again according to the law, and the case will be continuously monitored. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang)