The Ministry of Health and Welfare is on course to establish 154 social welfare centers by next year to expand child protection services, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Su Li-chung (蘇麗瓊) said.
The ministry yesterday opened a two-day workshop on community violence prevention and the social safety net in Taipei for social welfare organizations, social workers, medical practitioners and police.
Su, who hosted the workshop, said that the Social Safety Net Reinforcement Project, approved in February last year, aims to establish 154 social welfare centers, recruit up to 3,021 social workers between last year and next year, and create a family-centered and community-based support system to help at-risk families and children, she said.
Local governments are already helping to reinforce the social safety net, but public participation from local communities is still needed, Su said.
People should not only report suspected cases, but also watch over each other and reach out to those in need, she added.
Changhua Department of Social Affairs official Hsu Fang-yu (許芳瑜) said that the “conventional mindset of not airing your dirty laundry in public” still affects victims of domestic violence.
Most cases do not get reported until they come to the attention of police, hospitals, social departments or schools, Hsu said.
The department in 2015 formed a community empowerment team of academics, specialists and social workers that put theory into practice, she said, adding that it formed community watch teams.
Male team members invited men from households where disputes were reported to drink tea and chat, so they could understand their thoughts and help them relieve stress, she said, adding that female members supported the women.
Reports of domestic violence by the general public have increased, showing that people are more aware of violence and are willing to take action, Hsu said.
The ministry urged people to call the government’s 113 national hotline with suspicions of domestic violence, sexual assault, negligence or abuse.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President