Taipei mayoral candidates,
please hear our voices

We welcome renewed attention to child safety and social welfare. We ask future city leadership for concrete, workable and measurable policy—not slogans. When the safety net fails, the discussion must address individual accountability, institutional gaps and government remedies, rather than labeling every public question as distrust of social workers or “cognitive warfare.”

Individual accountability is not hostility toward a profession

In the Kai-Kai case, social worker Chen Shang-jie was convicted at first instance of negligent homicide; the appeal remains pending. A related visitor, Lin Hsin-tzu, was indicted over allegedly false visit records. A separate Taipei case involving suspected misuse of an adult ward’s assets also warrants scrutiny. Each matter must be investigated lawfully. Respect for expertise never means exemption from review.

Support frontline workers—and protect children and vulnerable people

Staffing shortages, administrative burdens and pressure need real reform. That does not make accountability optional. A sound safety net protects both frontline professionals and the people who rely on services.

Five policy questions

1. Child protection: How will high-risk cases and warning signs be identified earlier?
2. Accountability: How will oversight of workers, commissioned agencies and government detect neglect or false records promptly?
3. Elder protection: How will financial management and periodic review prevent abuse of vulnerable adults’ property?
4. Kindergarten safety: How will law, footage retention/access rules and local inspection cover kindergartens serving children over two?
5. Social-work system: How will better staffing coexist with service quality and accountability?

Child safety must not remain an election-season promise. We invite everyone who cares to join us on Ketagalan Boulevard on October 17 and call for action.

Rally asks: legal authority for cameras in kindergartens serving children over two; clear rules for installation, retention, access and management; local inspection and oversight; lawful preservation of footage when mistreatment is suspected; protection of children’s privacy and educators’ lawful rights.