The Social Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government set up Fengyuan District Family Welfare Service Center at Yangming Building today (September 27). This is the 6th family welfare service center following those set up at Dongshih, Beitun, Dajia, Dali and Shalu districts. Seven social workers are stationed at Fengyuan Center to serve nearly 430,000 people living in the 83 neighborhoods in the4 districts, including Fengyuan, Tanzi, Daya, and Shengang.

Deputy Mayor Shyu Jong-Shyoung (徐中雄), Social Affairs Bureau Director-general Wang Xiu-yuan (王秀燕), and City Councilor Chen Qing-Long (陳清龍) were invited to unveil the nameplate. Deputy Mayor Shyu said, “Sincethe first family welfare service center was set up in Dongshih District on April 30 this year, we have already established 6 family welfare service centers, including Dongshih, Beitun, Dajia, Dali, Shalu and Fengyuan in just six months, witnessing our heart and hard work to make social welfare more accessible to local residents.”

With 29 administrative districts under its jurisdiction, Taichung is eight times the size of Taipei City and has 30,000 more citizens than Taipei but only one half of social workers, said Social Affairs Bureau. After Taichung City Government appealed to the central government, which has agreed to “add” social workers, the situation improves greatly. Now, each social worker needs to serve 55,000 people, reducing from about 70,000 in the past. The family welfare service center is meant to integrate community resources and functions, so that each unit in various districts will become a good partner to social workers and officers.

Social Affairs Bureau stressed that accessibility by people in need of help is the top priority when setting up all the six family welfare service centers. That is also why Fengyuan Center isset upat Yangming Building, which is very convenient for people living in the 4 districts, namely Fengyuan, Tanzi, Daya, and Shengang. Adjacent to urban, mountainous, and coastal-line regions, these four districts are an intermediary region between downtown and rural living styles. Thus, the service provided in Fengyuan Center shall be diverse.

Following the six family welfare service centers,the 7th center shall be set up at North District soon and the 8th center in West District and the 9th in Wufeng District in 2014. Then, social welfare services shall extend to all the 29 administrative districts in Taichung City. It is hoped that each center becomes a good neighbor and helps people better use social welfare resources.