The Taiwan Fund for Children and Families on Friday said it aims to recruit 500 foster families this year.
Each year, the fund organizes nearly 400 events across the nation to recruit foster families, but only about 100 families become new foster care providers, fund chief executive officer Betty Ho (何素秋) said.
More than 500 additional children need foster care each year, she said, adding that she hopes more families will join its foster network.
The fund has been providing foster care placement services for 40 years, it said, adding that the service is available in all 22 cities and counties in the nation through its branch offices.
As of the third quarter of last year, 4,499 families had joined the fund’s foster care program, providing 55,922 children with placements, it said.
The fund is responsible for 78.8 percent of children’s foster care placements in the nation, it added.
Golden Bell Award-winning television host Sam Tseng (曾國城) and child actor Bai Run-yin (白潤音) starred in a short film, titled The Final Wishes (最後一夜), produced by the fund to recruit families to its foster care program, it said.
Every child is a seed, Tseng said, adding that how they would change society for the better depends on adults’ actions.
The fund said a pair of sisters — Ma An-na (馬安娜) and her elder sister Ma An-chi (馬安琪) — have been fostering children for 37 years and 22 years respectively.
Together, the sisters’ families have taken care of 80 foster children, the fund said.
Foster care is her and her sister’s mission, Ma An-na said, adding that they have never considered retiring from foster care.
The fund said it hopes more families with school-aged children at home can join foster care.
According to data from the Social and Family Affairs Administration, 58.04 percent of foster fathers are aged 55 or older, while 45.65 percent of foster mothers are aged 55 or older, the fund said.
Chiu Ching-feng (邱鏡?) and Ting Li-tseng (丁莉曾), who were foster parents when their daughter was six years old, said they would encourage families with children to join foster care, the fund said.
Her daughter was involved in the foster care process, and said she wants to become a foster parent when she is older, Ting said.
More information about becoming a foster parent through the fund can be found by calling it at 0800-07-8585 or visiting fostercare.ccf.org.tw.
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