STILL CAPABLE:
Despite being in her 60s, a New Taipei City in-home childcare provider said she is healthy and energetic, and her age does not affect the quality of her services
By Chiu Chi-jou / Staff reporter
About 26.3 percent of Taiwan’s registered in-home childcare providers are 60 or older, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s latest data showed, bringing a new issue in the in-home care industry to the surface.
As of June, 7,119, or one in four, of the nation’s about 27,000 care providers with an in-home childcare service registration are 60 or older, the data showed.
Of the six special municipalities, Taipei and New Taipei City have the highest percentages of registered in-home childcare providers aged 60 or older — 36.1 percent and 27.2 percent respectively, both higher than the national average.
Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei Times
The Social and Family Affairs Administration said that Taiwan’s aging population is posing a new challenge to the in-home caregiver industry, so the ministry has implemented a series of measures this year, including easing the calculation standards for in-home caregivers to look after their own children along with other children, and adjusting their training requirements.
While the proportion of in-home childcare providers aged 60 or older is growing annually, the majority of registrations this year have been people aged 40 to 59, and registrations from people aged 20 to 39 are also growing, it said.
The ministry in February amended the Registration and Management Regulations for Family Childcare Services Agencies (?????????????????), lowering the age for childcare providers’ own children to count as a child under their care from younger than five to younger than three, allowing them to take care of more children and support more families, it said.
Among the total required seven credits (126 hours) of training, practical skills were increased from one credit (18 hours) to two credits (36 hours), while theoretical lessons were consolidated, to help prepare in-home childcare providers with practical skills, and boost their confidence on the job, it said.
Becoming an in-home childcare provider is like being an entrepreneur. They must first meet the qualifications, register with a local family childcare service center and prepare a proper “working environment” at home.
Many young people are deterred from becoming in-home childcare providers as they have little knowledge about the qualification requirements, do not own their own home or hold misconceptions about the profession, a civic group said.
Peng Wan-Ru Foundation research specialist Li Ting-hsin (???) said that based on the Taipei City Government’s childcare services payment standard of NT$18,000 per month, an in-home childcare provider could make NT$36,000 per month taking care of two children, and up to NT$72,000 for four children, which is better than a monthly salary of about NT$30,000 for taking care of four children at a childcare facility.
To encourage more people to become in-home childcare providers, the foundation launched a recruitment program for seven local family childcare service centers from October 2021 to January, offering a NT$30,000 bonus to new in-home childcare providers, Li said.
Over the 16-month period, the program recruited 170 new in-home childcare providers, but that figure was below its expectations, she said.
However, the foundation found that employment support measures can help stabilize in-home childcare providers’ salary, which helps keep young people in the business, she added.
The foundation also discovered that with supportive measures, including frequent visits by instructors and having instructors accompany in-home childcare providers when they sign contracts, the new childcare providers were more likely to work with the parents for longer periods, and the average number of children they cared for increased from 1.41 to 2.21 in six months, Li said.
The measures not only help parents feel safe, but also secures the childcare providers’ salaries, she said, adding that in addition to providing bonuses, the foundation is also seeking to solve people’s questions about the profession and create a more positive image of in-home childcare providers.
Some childcare givers say that their age does not affect the quality their care, as their passion, experience and well-honed skills make them valuable to the profession.
In New Taipei City, a 62-year-old in-home childcare provider surnamed Hsu (?) said that her love of children and passion for childcare started young, when she first became a babysitter, and she has since accumulated 30 years of work experience.
As her children now have their own families, Hsu said that being an in-home childcare provider allows her to have a stable income, so she does not need to ask for help from her children, and taking care of children is like caring for her own grandchildren, which she enjoys.
As parents are less inclined to use young in-home childcare providers, new caregivers often have unstable incomes, so they might work at infant care centers or preschools to gain experience and make connections to grow their own business, Hsu said.
In-home childcare provider Hung Chiu-er (???), also in New Taipei City, said she took care of her own five children when they were young, and started to take care of other people’s children as a second career in her 40s.
Hung, who is in her 60s, said she is still healthy and energetic, so age does not necessarily affect the quality of the care she provides.
She said that in a super-aged society, people in their 60s would not even be considered old, so what is more important is that she likes children, and is loving and patient when caring for them, allowing their parents to feel safe leaving their children with her.
Being an in-home childcare provider is not easy, as they must prepare special meals for some children, as well as lunch and snacks, while looking after the children all day, she said.
As the social welfare department sets a maximum payment for in-home childcare providers, it is unlike like working for a company where there is a well-established wage system, with employee benefits and bonuses, she added.
Most people who become in-home childcare providers do not do it to become rich, but because they like children, Hung said.
The government should provide incentives to keep senior childcare providers in the workforce, because if all childcare providers older than 60 retire at the same time, one-quarter of the parents using the services would have to find new providers, she added.
Kaohsiung Social Affairs Bureau official Ho Chiu-chu (???) said that people aged 18 or older, who have completed the required training and obtained a certificate, can register with a local family childcare service center to become an in-home childcare provider.
There is no age limit for registration, Ho said.
However, the government encourages students studying childhood care and education, nursing or home economics at vocational schools, colleges or universities to join the in-home childcare provider workforce, she said.
Age is not the only or primary factor when parents choose an in-home childcare provider, as they usually consider everything from a caregiver’s experience, reputation and home environment, to their care methods and schedule, and a decision is made after meeting their needs and negotiations, she said.
Regardless of whether a childcare provider is recommended by a friend or family, Ho said that parents should consult with a local family childcare service center and check if the caregiver is registered or has had complaints filed against them, to protect their children.
Additional reporting by Lai Hsiao-tung
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