Chinese New Year is coming. Reunion with family to have a nice meal together is a tradition taken for granted for many families. However, for children in rural areas, having a family meal together is not a simple wish to carry out. According to a survey conducted by CWLF and CTBC Charity Foundation, 32.3% children in rural areas are not able to spend the Chinese New Year with their parents. Furthermore, the rampant pandemic and inflation have given disadvantaged families who already have financial difficulties an even bigger challenge. The survey found that almost 1/4 (24.3%) of families with children in rural areas worried about children’s educational expenses, e.g., tuition, books, insurance, etc. Moreover, 22.5% children in rural areas rarely have their parents prepare dinner for them; 17.2% rarely have hot meals in winter.

The 38th Light up a Life Fundraising Campaign is officially launched today on the 8th of December with a lighting ceremony at the CTBC Financial Park in Nangang District, Taipei City. People who joined the ceremony were excited to see the 13-metered tall “invincible star Christmas tree,” and the action figures Little Fire Kid and Fire Dragon to whom they shouted “Super cute!” With the title of winning the Taiwan Series of Professional Chinese Baseball League for two consecutive years, CTBC Brothers Baseball Team’s head coach Lin Wei-Chu along with the team showed up to the event and called to action on donations to help disadvantaged children in rural areas. CTBC Bank immediately took the lead by donating TWD 2 million to the campaign!

Discipline ≠ Corporal Punishments! Most studies show that rather than positive results, corporal punishments do more harm than the expected effects. Child Welfare League Foundation urges the government to regulate and abolish by law the social norm of physical punishments in Taiwan, and break the old thoughts of "spare the rod; spoil the child". CWLF Orange Ribbon VR immersive learning experience is coming up, let us learn to listen to children's voices by standing in their shoes and seeing from children's perspectives.

For CWLF’s sixth annual anti-bullying campaign this year, we once again collaborated with Swire Coca-Cola, Taiwan and launched “Wow! We Are Different!” (“wow” sounds similar to “socks” in Mandarin) anti-bullying campaign and declared November “Anti-Bullying Socks Month.” Schools are encouraged to join the campaign via simple and fun actions so as to gain public attention on anti-bullying issues.

To strengthen the public understanding of adoption root search and help the adoptees find their birth families, the Social and Family Affairs Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare held an intercountry adoption root search press conference at the Mayor’s Residence Art Salon. Two adoptees were invited to share their experiences at the conference for the society to better understand their journey of searching for the birth family over the years. Meanwhile, with the media exposure it was hoped to increase the chance of successful search.

CWLF along with Parenting Magazine together is urging people on three points: 1. Widely establish parenting facilities. 2. Empathise rather than criticise. 3. Listen more to the parents’ words.

What kind of friend can make you a better person? There are many ways of growing, but growing as a parent can only be realized with a child. Children make your life more complicated and make your life goal simpler. You learn to patiently answer every question they ask. You learn to be brave and strong so that you can protect them. You are willing to pick up the language, history, math, science subjects you forgot years ago, just to keep up with your children’s learning progress. You start to pay attention to parenting, gender equality, environmental sustainability and war, just to hope your child can grow up safely and carelessly into a beautiful person. You will slowly learn that nurturing a new life is never taking something away from you. All the time and love you provide for your children will eventually turn into sweet fruits enriching your heart. It takes the whole village to care for a child. A friendly childrearing environment with everyone a partner of childrearing family is the vision every family with children hope for.

President Tsai Ing-wen, “Adults respond to children’s needs now; children will take on the society’s needs in the future.” Puffy Is Good at Changing Frequency | Kid’s Right Interactive Exhibition Five children’s rights zones & diverse thematic forums

The Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) established a public policy platform — 1420Hz Platform for children to voice out, providing a safe place online for adolescents from 14 years old to 20 years old to voice out their opinions.