Taichung Child Becomes 'Household Registration Orphan,' Councilors Urge City Government to Assist with Registration
A male infant born in Taichung to a foreign mother in 2022 faces 'household registration orphan' status due to his mother's existing marriage abroad. Despite subsequent divorce and marriage registration in Taiwan, and a court ruling denying paternity to the former husband, administrative delays prevent the child's registration. City councilors are urging the Taichung City Government to use its administrative discretion to expedite the child's registration, ensuring access to healthcare, childcare, and education. Taichung Deputy Mayor Huang Kuo-jung and Legal Affairs Bureau Director Li Shan-chih have indicated they will address the issue.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 9, 2026 at 19:35
- 🔍 Collected: April 9, 2026 at 20:00 (25 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 18:56 (142h 56m after Collected)
Democratic Progressive Party city councilors Hsieh Chih-chung, Wang Li-jen, Chang Yu-yen, Huang Shou-ta, and Chang Fen-yu jointly questioned in the city council, pointing out that a foreign mother gave birth to a male infant in Taichung in 2022. Four days later, DNA testing confirmed the biological father was a Taichung citizen. When the family applied for household registration for the child, it could not be completed because the mother was still married in her home country.
Hsieh Chih-chung said that the foreign mother immediately took legal action, obtained a divorce judgment in her home country, formally completed marriage registration in Taiwan, and filed a lawsuit to deny paternity for the child. In 2024, the court judgment became final, but due to administrative procedures, 17 months after the judgment, the child still could not be registered.
Hsieh Chih-chung believes that this is a Taichung child certified by the Taichung District Court. Three years ago, the grandmother was joyful about holding her grandson, but because there was no household registration, the child could not enjoy health insurance for medical treatment and had to pay out of pocket. The child could not enter a childcare center, and with kindergarten starting in September, could not successfully enroll. He demanded that the Civil Affairs Bureau promptly initiate administrative discretion and actively study feasible measures to assist the child in quickly obtaining household registration and basic identity protection, to prevent the child's right to education and developmental rights from being continuously harmed.
Wang Li-jen stated that all evidence, including DNA test reports and court judgments, indicates that the child is a Taiwanese child. Why can't the city government use its administrative discretion to allow the child to register for household registration, leading to repeated delays in social welfare rights?
Taichung City Deputy Mayor Huang Kuo-jung emphasized agreement with Wang Li-jen's view, stating that administrative discretion should be used to allow the child to register for household registration first. If there are other objections later, they can be discussed and handled, prioritizing the child's right to enjoy benefits.
Taichung City Legal Affairs Bureau Director Li Shan-chih said that because the child was born during the existence of the ex-husband's marriage, it was presumed to be the ex-husband's child. The previous court judgment only overturned the presumption that the child was the ex-husband's. As for who the biological father is, it still requires a lawsuit to confirm the parent-child relationship through the court to establish a legal relationship with the biological father. If the biological father and biological mother marry later, the child can obtain the status of a legitimate child through the legitimation process. (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150409
Hsieh Chih-chung said that the foreign mother immediately took legal action, obtained a divorce judgment in her home country, formally completed marriage registration in Taiwan, and filed a lawsuit to deny paternity for the child. In 2024, the court judgment became final, but due to administrative procedures, 17 months after the judgment, the child still could not be registered.
Hsieh Chih-chung believes that this is a Taichung child certified by the Taichung District Court. Three years ago, the grandmother was joyful about holding her grandson, but because there was no household registration, the child could not enjoy health insurance for medical treatment and had to pay out of pocket. The child could not enter a childcare center, and with kindergarten starting in September, could not successfully enroll. He demanded that the Civil Affairs Bureau promptly initiate administrative discretion and actively study feasible measures to assist the child in quickly obtaining household registration and basic identity protection, to prevent the child's right to education and developmental rights from being continuously harmed.
Wang Li-jen stated that all evidence, including DNA test reports and court judgments, indicates that the child is a Taiwanese child. Why can't the city government use its administrative discretion to allow the child to register for household registration, leading to repeated delays in social welfare rights?
Taichung City Deputy Mayor Huang Kuo-jung emphasized agreement with Wang Li-jen's view, stating that administrative discretion should be used to allow the child to register for household registration first. If there are other objections later, they can be discussed and handled, prioritizing the child's right to enjoy benefits.
Taichung City Legal Affairs Bureau Director Li Shan-chih said that because the child was born during the existence of the ex-husband's marriage, it was presumed to be the ex-husband's child. The previous court judgment only overturned the presumption that the child was the ex-husband's. As for who the biological father is, it still requires a lawsuit to confirm the parent-child relationship through the court to establish a legal relationship with the biological father. If the biological father and biological mother marry later, the child can obtain the status of a legitimate child through the legitimation process. (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150409
FAQ
What is the situation of a 'household registration orphan'?
A 'household registration orphan' refers to a child who, due to various reasons (e.g., parents' marital status, administrative delays), cannot be registered in the household registry, thus lacking basic identity protection and access to social welfare services.
What is the main reason the male infant in Taichung cannot be registered?
The main reason is that the child's mother was still married in her home country, leading to the presumption that the child belonged to her former husband. Although the mother has since divorced, remarried in Taiwan, and obtained a court ruling denying paternity to the former husband, administrative delays have prevented the registration from being completed.