Taipei Mayor Open to Evaluating New 'Parent-Child Card' Proposal

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has responded to a new childcare proposal from a political rival, stating that the city government is open to evaluating any policy aimed at supporting families. The proposal, put forth by Democratic Progressive Party mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang, is called the "Parent-Child Companion Card."

The proposed card would provide parents with 600 New Taiwan dollars (approximately $18 USD) per month. These credits could be used for various activities, including access to entertainment facilities, sports venues, and the purchase of books, aiming to support family outings and children's development.

Chiang emphasized that Taipei has been a leader in implementing child-friendly policies over the past four years. He pointed to several existing initiatives designed to alleviate the financial and practical burdens faced by parents. These include subsidized public childcare services, with second-child care being entirely free in public and quasi-public facilities. The city also offers "reduced work hours without reduced pay" for parents and has expanded free school lunches to junior high students.

Furthermore, Chiang highlighted the upcoming opening of a dedicated women's and children's hospital in June, which aims to provide comprehensive care for mothers and infants. The city has also implemented housing support programs. Chiang affirmed that Taipei is willing to be at the forefront of introducing such measures and that any new policy proposal, including Shen's, would be carefully considered and evaluated.

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Taipei has proposed many pioneering pro-childcare policies in the past four years. We are brave enough to lead the way nationwide to reduce the burden on parenting families. Any policy proposal can be discussed and evaluated.