Backlash as Social Worker Sentenced in Kai Kai Case; Sector Urges Suspension of Evaluations
The two-year prison sentence of a social worker involved in the Kai Kai child abuse case has sparked outrage. The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans regional forums and liability insurance, while the union urges a suspension of administrative evaluations to ease workload.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 21:24
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 21:32 (7 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 23:00 (1h 28m after Collected)
(CNA Reporter Tseng I-ning, Taipei, 23rd) Child Welfare League Foundation social worker Chen Shang-chieh was sentenced to 2 years in prison due to the Kai Kai case, causing an uproar in the social work sector. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) stated today that it will hold regional forums to understand frontline opinions. The social work sector suggested that given the severe talent drain recently, evaluations could be suspended to reduce paperwork and address the labor shortage issue.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare held a "Public-Private Partnership to Stabilize Social Work Manpower Forum." Deputy Minister Lu Chien-te told the media after the meeting that they will plan regional forums in the North, Central, South, and East to gather frontline opinions and strengthen policy feedback mechanisms. They will review social workers' responsibilities, standard operating procedures, and support mechanisms. Regarding legal disputes encountered by social workers in practice, the plan is to follow the medical malpractice model and establish liability insurance to handle them.
Kuo Chih-nan, Secretary-General of the Kaohsiung Social Workers Union, accepted a joint media interview and said he felt "the MOHW seems to have finally woken up," finally realizing the situation is extremely serious and requires a solution. The Deputy Minister going to the grassroots to hold forums is also the biggest consensus today; they hope the MOHW will review the social work workflow to solve the labor shortage.
As for the voices of frontline social workers, Kuo Chih-nan noted that the one point the MOHW did not positively respond to in the meeting was the suggestion to pause local government evaluations for 1 or 2 years, as the recent incidents have left the sector in chaos.
Regarding the on-site evaluations of social welfare performance, Kuo Chih-nan pointed out that in the past, there was a major review every 3 years and a minor review every year, plus self-evaluations prior to the main evaluation. These various evaluations require handling massive amounts of paperwork, causing immense work pressure for social workers and squeezing out time for practical casework. "Does this really help practical work?" he asked, hoping to let everyone catch their breath first, reassess manpower, and rebuild the morale of the social work sector. (Editor: Kuan Chung-wei) 1150423
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The Ministry of Health and Welfare held a "Public-Private Partnership to Stabilize Social Work Manpower Forum." Deputy Minister Lu Chien-te told the media after the meeting that they will plan regional forums in the North, Central, South, and East to gather frontline opinions and strengthen policy feedback mechanisms. They will review social workers' responsibilities, standard operating procedures, and support mechanisms. Regarding legal disputes encountered by social workers in practice, the plan is to follow the medical malpractice model and establish liability insurance to handle them.
Kuo Chih-nan, Secretary-General of the Kaohsiung Social Workers Union, accepted a joint media interview and said he felt "the MOHW seems to have finally woken up," finally realizing the situation is extremely serious and requires a solution. The Deputy Minister going to the grassroots to hold forums is also the biggest consensus today; they hope the MOHW will review the social work workflow to solve the labor shortage.
As for the voices of frontline social workers, Kuo Chih-nan noted that the one point the MOHW did not positively respond to in the meeting was the suggestion to pause local government evaluations for 1 or 2 years, as the recent incidents have left the sector in chaos.
Regarding the on-site evaluations of social welfare performance, Kuo Chih-nan pointed out that in the past, there was a major review every 3 years and a minor review every year, plus self-evaluations prior to the main evaluation. These various evaluations require handling massive amounts of paperwork, causing immense work pressure for social workers and squeezing out time for practical casework. "Does this really help practical work?" he asked, hoping to let everyone catch their breath first, reassess manpower, and rebuild the morale of the social work sector. (Editor: Kuan Chung-wei) 1150423
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The text, images, and audio/video of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.