Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said the Taipei City Government aims to work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector to take care of children and elderly people so that workers can go to their jobs without worrying.
Ko made the remark yesterday morning when visiting the Taiwan Grace Christian Gospel Assembly’s (湖光基督教會) Fain House church in Neihu District (內湖), where he joined small children in dancing and making paper snowmen.
Ko praised the church for its efforts in taking care of children, adolescents and elderly people, including providing daytime care for elderly people, classes for various age groups and temporary childcare on short notice.
He said the services provided at the church are social welfare services that the Taipei Department of Social Welfare would like to push forward, but has not yet implemented citywide.
“I often think that the power of the government is limited, but the power of the private sector is unlimited, so how can I have the city government and NGOs cooperate to provide better social welfare services,” Ko said, adding that children and elderly people should have higher priority and be properly taken care of.
Young people can work harder and not worry about leaving the house when children and elderly people are well taken care of, he added.
When couples with young children have sudden errands to run, they usually take their children to their parents, but they need temporary childcare services on short notice if their parents cannot help, Ko said, adding that this is a practical need for which he would seek to find a solution with the Taipei Department of Social Welfare.
When asked about the traffic congestion that often occurs in Neihu, Ko said that “the real problem in Neihu is not traffic, but rather failed urban planning.”
“We have been discussing how to use a TOD [transit-oriented development] approach in modifying the city’s general urban planning, which will be incorporated into an overall urban planning review next year,” he added.
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