Executive Yuan: Full Amendment to Child and Youth Welfare Act to be Announced Soon, Social Communication to Commence
Child welfare groups urged the swift amendment of the Child and Youth Welfare and Rights Protection Act, which has not seen significant changes in 15 years. The Executive Yuan responded that the Ministry of Health and Welfare will announce a full amendment to the Act in April, initiating a 60-day public comment period and social dialogue. The draft amendment will be structured according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
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- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 11:46
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Taipei, April 14 (CNA) Child and youth social welfare groups held a press conference in front of the Executive Yuan today, calling for the swift amendment of the Child and Youth Welfare and Rights Protection Act, which has not undergone significant revisions in 15 years. The Executive Yuan responded that the Ministry of Health and Welfare will announce a full amendment to the Act in April, while also commencing social communication.
Several child and youth social welfare groups held a press conference in front of the Executive Yuan's main gate this morning, pointing out that the Child and Youth Act has not been amended for 15 years, and many existing child and youth issues need to be resolved. These include the physical and mental health of children and youth, child abuse, traffic safety, the placement of disabled children in elderly care facilities, the loss of frontline practical talent, and the expansion of cause-of-death investigations for children aged 0 to 6 to include those up to 18 years old. They urged the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to propose an amendment draft as soon as possible.
Chang Yu-chia, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Alliance for Children and Youth Rights and Welfare, explained the four demands of the child and youth social welfare groups: First, administrative agencies should promptly propose an integrated amendment version to address the current situation and gaps concerning children and youth, and clearly explain the policy direction and timeline. Second, in addition to continuously promoting proposals, legislative bodies should also strengthen their oversight responsibilities over administrative departments, requiring the administrative system to actively participate in the amendment process rather than passively responding.
Third, Chang Yu-chia stated that the amendment process should incorporate the opinions of children and youth and frontline practitioners to ensure that the system design aligns with on-site needs, rather than being merely formalistic. Fourth, establish a cross-ministerial collaboration mechanism to integrate aspects such as social welfare, education, health, environment, and digital governance, ensuring the concrete implementation of child and youth rights protection.
Lin Hui-hua, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Children's Rights Alliance, said that observations from child and youth suicide and self-harm data indicate that mental health issues among children and youth are becoming increasingly severe, and child protection regulations must be further improved. Additionally, incidents of violence against children continue to occur in various settings such as families, care institutions, and schools, and regulations must clearly define child abuse.
Jia Yu-chang, Deputy Director of the Executive Yuan's Department of Internal Affairs, Health, and Labor, explained upon receiving the petition that the Ministry of Health and Welfare will announce a full amendment to the Child and Youth Welfare Act in April. The draft will be fully revised based on the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), with a 60-day public comment period, and social communication will be initiated simultaneously. (Editor: Wan Shu-chang) 1150414
Several child and youth social welfare groups held a press conference in front of the Executive Yuan's main gate this morning, pointing out that the Child and Youth Act has not been amended for 15 years, and many existing child and youth issues need to be resolved. These include the physical and mental health of children and youth, child abuse, traffic safety, the placement of disabled children in elderly care facilities, the loss of frontline practical talent, and the expansion of cause-of-death investigations for children aged 0 to 6 to include those up to 18 years old. They urged the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to propose an amendment draft as soon as possible.
Chang Yu-chia, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Alliance for Children and Youth Rights and Welfare, explained the four demands of the child and youth social welfare groups: First, administrative agencies should promptly propose an integrated amendment version to address the current situation and gaps concerning children and youth, and clearly explain the policy direction and timeline. Second, in addition to continuously promoting proposals, legislative bodies should also strengthen their oversight responsibilities over administrative departments, requiring the administrative system to actively participate in the amendment process rather than passively responding.
Third, Chang Yu-chia stated that the amendment process should incorporate the opinions of children and youth and frontline practitioners to ensure that the system design aligns with on-site needs, rather than being merely formalistic. Fourth, establish a cross-ministerial collaboration mechanism to integrate aspects such as social welfare, education, health, environment, and digital governance, ensuring the concrete implementation of child and youth rights protection.
Lin Hui-hua, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Children's Rights Alliance, said that observations from child and youth suicide and self-harm data indicate that mental health issues among children and youth are becoming increasingly severe, and child protection regulations must be further improved. Additionally, incidents of violence against children continue to occur in various settings such as families, care institutions, and schools, and regulations must clearly define child abuse.
Jia Yu-chang, Deputy Director of the Executive Yuan's Department of Internal Affairs, Health, and Labor, explained upon receiving the petition that the Ministry of Health and Welfare will announce a full amendment to the Child and Youth Welfare Act in April. The draft will be fully revised based on the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), with a 60-day public comment period, and social communication will be initiated simultaneously. (Editor: Wan Shu-chang) 1150414
FAQ
Why is the Child and Youth Welfare Act being amended?
Child welfare groups pointed out that the Act has not been significantly amended for 15 years, leading to many unresolved issues concerning children's physical and mental health, abuse, traffic safety, placement of disabled children, loss of frontline professionals, and the need to expand cause-of-death investigations.
How long is the public comment period for the amendment draft?
The public comment period for the amendment draft, to be announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in April, will be 60 days.