Families with children under 12 soon allowed to hire migrant workers

Families with children under 12 soon allowed to hire migrant workers

2026-03-19

To lessen the burden of domestic labor on parents and to make it easier for stay-at-home parents to return to the workforce, the government has expanded hiring eligibility of migrant domestic helpers. Starting on April 13, families with one child under 12 can apply, which would make an estimated 1.44 million households eligible. Each migrant domestic helper would cost families at least NT$20,000 in salary plus an NT$5,000 employment security fee per worker per month to the government. The new policy will also prioritize special-needs households.

On weekday mornings, stay-at-home parents can be seen in the park playing with their children. It’s likely that their spouses are the main breadwinner, working full-time to support the whole family. Soon, stay-at-home parents will be able to return to the workforce should they wish, thanks to a new policy.

Parent
Supportive
I’m aware that previously, you needed to have at least three little kids to be able to hire a migrant domestic helper. I think it’s great that the eligibility has loosened. Moms can now all go back to work.

Currently, only families with at least three children under the age of 6 can hire migrant domestic helpers. But starting on April 13, families with just one child under 12 are eligible.

Parent
Supportive
When parents come home after work, on top of taking care of the kids, there’s also chores to take care of. To be frank, helpers can lessen the burden to some extent.

Parent
Skeptical
Of course, the policy was made out of good intentions, but I think we still need to discuss relevant contingencies.

The new policy prioritizes families with special needs, and is estimated to expand hiring eligibility to 1.44 million households countrywide. Critics say this could make hiring more difficult for families with elders in need.

Sun I-hsin
Taiwan Social Welfare League
Assuming that the number will be up by a million, in the future, families with members with severe diseases will face even more competition in hiring migrant workers. The pressure of caring for a little one cannot compare to that of caring for an older adult with functional decline. The new policy should prioritize single parents or parents of children with severe diseases or disabilities.

Social welfare groups are also urging the government to prioritize disadvantaged families, so that everyone in need benefits from the new policy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#migrantworker #domestichelper #labor #SAHM #childcare

144萬戶適用! 4/13起未滿12歲兒童家庭可請外傭

2026-03-19

為減輕育兒負擔、釋出女性勞動力，行政院會拍板新制，4月13號起，放寬外籍幫傭申請資格，只要家中有一名未滿12歲兒童就能申請，協助打理家務，但每月須繳五千元就業安定費，另外家中有罕病、身障兒童等特殊家庭也有相應放寬。預估全台144萬戶家庭適用。

平日上午，全職媽媽，陪孩子到公園玩，而另一半外出上班、賺錢養家，這是不少單薪家庭的生活日常！為減輕育兒負擔、釋出女性勞動力，勞動部將推出新制。

[[家長]]
“我知道之前的政策，好像是要三個寶寶以上，才可以申請(外傭) ，我覺得其實這個(放寬)還不錯，媽媽都可以回去工作”

舊制規定，家庭必須要有三位6歲以下小孩，才能申請。4月13號新制上路後，放寬到只要有一名未滿12歲兒童，即可申請外傭。

[[家長]]
“爸爸媽媽(下班)回來的話，我們除了照顧小孩，我們還要做一些家務事，這些其實還是，(外傭)多少能夠減輕一些負擔”

[[家長]]
“立意當然是好的，但是我覺得可能還需要討論一些，相關的配套措施吧”

加上家中有罕病、身障兒童等特殊家庭也有相應放寬，預估全台144萬戶家庭適用，恐怕會掀起搶人大戰。

[[台灣社福總盟秘書長孫一信]]
“以百萬的數量來做這樣的計算的話，未來這些重症家庭，在聘用外勞(外傭)的競爭又會更強大，因為畢竟照一個小朋友，跟照顧一個失能長輩，其實那個壓力是不同的，(申請外傭)應該讓單親的優先嘛，或者是讓這些重症兒童，身心障礙兒童優先”

社福團體呼籲做好配套措施，像是加設弱勢家庭優先等條件，盡可能政府的好意落實到每一個角落！

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Mr. Chiang had a breath alcohol concentrate of 1.5mg per liter, meaning he was driving while extremely drunk. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but Mr. Chiang has been transferred to the prosecutor’s office on charges of endangering public safety.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Shuttered classic movie theater transformed into karaoke, event space

After 60 years as northern Taiwan’s leading second-showing theater, the old Showtime in Taipei’s Gongguan area closed its doors last year when its lease expired, much to the dismay of nearby NTU and NTNU students. But now, new management has taken over and transformed the theater into a multifunctional entertainment space. Visitors can rent entire theaters out for karaoke, hold small concerts, or experience VR, finding creative new uses for this classic institution.

The ethereal band Night Keepers perform live in an intimate venue. But this technically isn’t a concert space. It’s a 60-year-old movie theater.

Inside this other theater, people are singing their hearts out, taking full advantage of the surround sound. Next door is something else entirely...

Wearing VR headsets, these fans are watching a voice actor festival. The venue used to be northern Taiwan’s leading second-showing cinema, the Showtime in Taipei’s Gongguan area. Last year, the 60-year-old theater closed with the expiration of its lease. Many were sad to see it go, but now it’s under creative new management, who envision a different kind of multifunctional entertainment space.

Dino Chun
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Chen Tzu-jung
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With the rise of streaming, people aren’t going to see movies very much anymore. So how can we utilize this space in a diverse way going forward? For example, we can invite stand-ups or YouTubers, even organize preview screenings. You could even hold product launches here.

The original theater setup was maintained with meticulous renovations—even the old broadcasting booth on the first floor is still there. Now the venue has reopened after a transformation, ready to host all kinds of events as a newly reimagined multifunctional space.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#theater #movietheater #cinema #Showtime #Gongguan #eventspace #karaoke #reinvented #performancevenue #musicvenue #VR #multifunctional

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Professor goes viral for energetic dance teaching brain anatomy

A professor was recently caught on camera doing a modified version of the “shaved ice dance” for his lesson, chanting anatomical terms for the brain while doing his own original dance moves. The professor was Lin Ching-hung, chair of the Department of Psychology at Kaohsiung Medical University. He’s been doing the dance for 18 years, leaving an impression on generations of students.

A teacher waves his hands while hopping up and down, doing a modified version of the “shaved ice dance.” But listen carefully to the words.

He’s chanting anatomical terms for the brain, paired with a lively dance routine of his own making. The riveting routine was caught on camera and is now making the rounds online. For many alumni, it made memories come flooding back.

Student
Thankful for dance routine
It helps quite a bit to remember this stuff. Without it, I might have had to spend some time memorizing these technical terms.

Student
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I’m a senior now. I took his classes my freshman and sophomore years. Even now, I still remember it. It seems like I won’t forget it for a long time.

Lin Ching-hung
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This was actually something that my teacher passed down to me. We both wanted to make it easier for regular students—especially those just starting out—to quickly memorize or learn the challenging bits.

This energetic teacher is chair of the Department of Psychology at Kaohsiung Medical University, whose areas of expertise include cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. He said he came up with the dance in 2008, and has been doing it for 18 years now.

Incorporating complex information into a fun and upbeat dance makes it a breeze for students to memorize. Even years after graduating, Lin’s former students find it hard to forget.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#teacher #professor #neuroscience #dance #shavedicedance #viraldance #university #psychology #brain #memorization

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Nonagenarian makes accurate models of Presidential Office, historic buildings

At 90 years old, Huang Li-chin is a master of making miniatures. Among the pieces crafted by this entirely self-taught Taichung native are detailed models of the Presidential Office Building and the old Taichung Railway Station, made out of backing paper. Despite her advanced age, she has never lost her curious spirit and continues to learn every day.

A miniature Presidential Office stands just as grand as the original, every detail—from the red bricks to the window frames and staircases—perfectly replicated.

There are also models of the historic Taichung Railway Station and Taichung Prefectural Hall. The miniatures are entirely accurate, made with precise proportions as if freezing a moment in time. The person behind them all is 90-year-old Huang Li-chin.

Huang Li-chin
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Look here. I made them from these pictures. I recognize this design. Apart from the top, all four sides are identical. Most buildings are like that.

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At 90 years old, Huang Li-chin is still living life to the fullest. Learning something new every day is the secret to a good life, no matter your age.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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On Wednesday evening, a woman in Taitung attempted suicide, plunging herself into the ocean while drunk. Fortunately, she was pulled up by a man taking a walk by the beach, and three students. The first rescuer was later identified as a talent scout for the MLB’s Kansas City Royals.

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Sun Moon Lake is renowned for its beautiful scenery, but it’s also a key pumped-storage hydropower reservoir. Taipower recently upgraded the system, raising the dam of the downstream Minghu Reservoir to increase its water capacity, and in turn increasing the amount of energy the system can store.

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After moving downstream and generating electricity, the water is stored in the downstream Minghu Reservoir. When power demand is low and supply is plentiful, it is pumped back up to Sun Moon Lake and can be used to generate electricity again when it flows back downstream later. This cycle lets the same water be used repeatedly, turning the system into a giant battery.

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When power supply faces peak demand and emergencies, Sun Moon Lake acts like a kind of relief pitcher, coming in for more innings to generate electricity and provide support.

With its expanded power capacity, Sun Moon Lake will be able to more effectively support Taiwan’s power supply.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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