A married couple in Pingtung County are to be honored tomorrow by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for fostering 29 children over the past 21 years.
Liao Yu-chao (廖玉招) yesterday said that she and her husband, Chen Wen-kuan (陳文寬), started as foster parents in 1998, and were determined to dedicate themselves to the welfare of abused and underprivileged children.
To prepare themselves, they enrolled in training programs, and eventually became certified foster parents, they said.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families’ Pingtung branch
The children placed with them came out of circumstances such as poverty, rape, abuse and negligence, Liao said, adding that the most unforgettable case was that of a seven-year-old boy with a social disorder.
He lacked the ability to care for himself, and often exhibited an inclination to injure himself and others, causing trouble for other parents and neighbors, she said.
Being foster parents requires a strong mindset, as they are not only responsible for the children, but must also withstand judgement and pressure from society, she said.
A 12-year-old orphan also left a strong impression on the couple, as he had spent his life drifting among relatives’ homes and foster organizations, until eventually setting foot in their home, which provided a more stable life, they said.
In an article he once wrote, he described how the word “mother” had always been distant to him until meeting Liao, who showed him what a mother’s love felt like, they said.
After three years of foster care with the family, he was transferred to a foster agency, where he struggled whenever other children were writing letters to their parents, because he was not sure to whom his letter should be sent, they said.
When they visited him at the agency, they told him they would look forward to receiving his letters, as their home would always be his, despite the foster period ending, the couple said.
Reminiscing about the past 20 years, the couple said that they often become emotional whenever foster children return to visit, or make a special announcement, such as a wedding.
Every child has a unique story, and the happiness they shared together, as well as the hardships — such as a child running away, arguments, theft or other misconduct — would forever be remembered, they said.
“We taught children to know right from wrong with all our love, and let them know what a real home should feel like,” Chen said, adding that knowing that they continue to see him and his wife as a vital part of their lives after they left has made all their efforts worthwhile.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS