Taiwan to Restart Foreign Caregiver Program, Pilot Project May Implement Responsibility System

Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor is poised to reintroduce its foreign caregiver outreach program, aiming to address the growing need for domestic care services. This initiative, slated to launch in the second half of the year, aims to establish a more diverse model for employing foreign caregivers, tackling challenges related to family care and enhancing care quality. To facilitate this, the ministry is considering implementing a responsibility system for workers involved in the pilot project. This proposal will be presented to the Labor Standards Advisory Committee for further discussion and approval. The outreach program will involve collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and recruitment agencies to coordinate the deployment of caregivers to families in need. These caregivers will provide services such as short-term care and companionship, potentially staying with families for a certain number of days. The ministry’s decision to consider the responsibility system stems from the intermittent nature of this type of work, with its unique employment patterns. By applying the responsibility system, it seeks to create a more flexible work arrangement for caregivers while also addressing the specific requirements of their work.