• Location:Taiwan
• Date: 2020/01/13
• Update Date:2020/07/23
• Clicks:398

Definition of key child and youth protection terms

1. Children and youth under protection

Here refers to people below the age of eighteen who suffer one or more types of abuse (physical, mental, sexual, negligence, etc.) that is compliant with one of the following issues for protection listed in Paragragh 1 of Article 53 of the Protection of Children and Youth Welfare and Rights Act

2. Caregiver

2-1 Parent, guardian or caretaker

2-2 Relative or someone living in the same household who is responsible for caring and supervising the child or youth, regardless of the length or duration of time living together.

2-3 Staff working in public and private care institutions for children and youth, such as homes, hospitals, health and care agencies, mental health centers, and shelters.

2-4 Those who responsible for looking after the child or youth but do not live together.

3. Child and youth protection

The main legal basis for child and youth protection is Article 53 of the Protection of Children and Youth Welfare and Rights Act - when medical personnel, social workers, educational personnel, day care personnel, preschool educators, household registration personnel, immigration personnel, police, judicial personnel, village officers or other child and youth welfare providers become aware of any illegal treatment of children or youth when on duty, such as physical, mental abuse or abandonment, please report to the municipal or county (city) competent authority immediately or no later than 24 hours. Upon acknowledging such report, the municipal or county (city) competent authority shall proceed with the classification and categorization procedure immediately or no later than 24 hours, and the case officer shall submit an investigation report within 4 or 30 days after taking on the cases.

4. Competent Authority

According to articles regulated in the Protection of Children and Youth Welfare and Rights Act, competent authorities for the execution of child and youth protection shall be social affairs department (bureau) of the special municipality or county (city) government, or their affiliated domestic violence and sexual assault prevention center.

Reporting Procedures

Reporting procedures may vary subject to the condition of the child and youth:

1. Report to the child and youth protection competent authority (the Authority)

1.1 Urgent Reporting

Report immediately in writing or through telephone, fill in the reporting form and forward it to competent authority within 24 hours.

1.1.1 Contact information of the Authority for each county (city)

1.1.2 Fill in the reporting form:

a. Report online (The child and youth protection e-care platform) https://ecare.mohw.gov.tw/

b. Report by facsimile

1.2 General reporting

Fill in the reporting form and forward it to the competent authority within 24 hours.

1.2.1 Report online (The E-care platform for child and youth protection) https://ecare.mohw.gov.tw/

1.2.2 Report by facsimile

2. For child and youth protection incidents, in addition to follow the abovementioned reporting procedure, the first part of Article 15 of the Report Handling Guidelines also regulates:

For children and youth with issues listed in Paragraph 1 of Article 53 of the Protection of Children and Youth Welfare and Rights Act, police, children and youth welfare institutions, medical institutes or schools shall provide proper protection and care to the said children and youth before the case is handed over to competent authority of the special municipality or county (city). Those who in need of treatment should be sent to hospital immediately.

Competent authority’s handling procedures upon receiving notification of child and youth protection incident

Upon receiving such notification, the competent authority shall determine whether it is a case of child protection through professional assessment. The main purpose is to improve the immediacy and security of child and youth protection, and to avoid time delay of rescue for children in need due to incomplete information or reporting errors.