The death of a one-year-old boy nicknamed Kai-kai (剴剴), allegedly from abuse at the hands of his caregiver has raised concerns.
In response, Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) said that the social safety net still has some holes that need to be “mended.”
Hoping for the social safety net to work flawlessly and for each and every individual is simply not viable.
This would only work if the government committed to taking care of every single family or if every Taiwanese could be relied upon to be merciful and kind.
The thing about the social safety net is that it is not an actual net. Instead, it is an abstract concept of prevention.
Just as a safety net in the circus is there to protect acrobats in an aerial show, the nation’s safety net, consisting of social networks, provides support from public and private sectors.
That is, for a social safety net to be comprehensive, it requires an attentive community, the police to work together with the public, public assistance, healthcare services and support from educational and judicial systems.
Suicide, domestic violence and abuse mostly derive from problems with household incomes or family relationships. Personalities and characteristics are often a major contributing factor.
One might hope that moral, compassionate people would not harm another human being. Unfortunately, ordinary people are capable of horrific things.
The social safety net alone is not enough to help the disadvantaged and marginalized. Sometimes the system is inadequate and social workers simply cannot be expected to work wonders.
Some families applying for emergency relief or low-income subsidy due to unforeseen circumstances might find themselves unable to get the help they need.
Some families end up killing themselves by burning charcoal in their apartments, because they are desperate, having amassed large debts with unscrupulous money lenders. If they had asked a local government for help, would the government have helped them?
For those in need, not being qualified or eligible for application is an obstacle in seeking help.
However, just because the applicants are refused does not mean bureaucrats lack compassion and empathy. These public servants are put under suspicion when all they were doing was following the law.
Kai-kai was a child in foster care. The solution to his plight should have started with addressing why his family was so poor.
Unfortunately, he was placed in the care of a person who fatally abused him.
There have been 66 recorded child abuse cases over the past three years, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.
To solve and prevent such problems lies in caregivers rather than the social safety net.
A full-time licensed caregiver abused a boy to death. It is an issue of the education system not working and individuals being morally bankrupt.
Taiwan should really look at how to cultivate people’s sense of right and wrong instead of paying attention to fights between the ruling party and the opposition parties.
Shiao Fu-song is a lecturer at National Taitung University.
Translated by Hsieh Yi-ching
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