Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Taiwan Fund for Children and Families

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Abbreviation
  
TFCF

Type
  
NGO

Founded
  
1938

Area served
  
35 Countries

Focus
  
Care for poverty and disadvantaged children and families

Method
  
Through sponsorship and social work services Provide assistance to poverty families and advocacy campaign

Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (abbreviated as TFCF) is a non-profit organization in Taiwan that provides services to vulnerable children and families who are under age 18. “Livelihood Supports” and “Child Protection” are its two main target programs. Regardless race, religion and gender, TFCF was founded in 1950 with a helping hand from Christian Children’s Fund, a NGO from Virginia, U.S.A. It went independent during year 1985. Now, it has 23 branch offices, 1 Ta-Tung Children’s Home and other 11 placement institutions as well as 5 overseas branch offices in Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Swaziland, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We also collaborate with ChildFund International USA, Christian Children’s Fund of Canada, ChildFund Australia, and BØRNEfonden(Denmark) to provide children sponsorship program to help over 50,000 needy children in 31 countries.

Contents

History

1938 - China’s Children Fund (CCF) was established in Richmond, Virginia, by Christians in the States. 1950 - They set up the first family-style orphanage in Taiwan and took over Ta-Tung Children’s Home. 1951 - CCF's name is changed to Christian Children’s Fund , Christian Children’s Fund of Taiwan. 1964 - CCF Taiwan Field Office was formally established and 23 Branch Offices were set up one by one to provide services to needy children and families in Taiwan. 1985 - CCF/Taiwan became fully independent from Christian Children’s Fund and no longer received financial support from foreign donors. 1987 - CCF/Taiwan launched the Foreign Children Sponsorship Program and began to sponsor children in Asia, America and Africa. Provided Child Protection Program in Taiwan. 1999 - Changed the name to Chinese Fund for Children and Families/Taiwan (CCF/Taiwan). Received the National Social Welfare Prize issued by the government. 2002 - Changed the name to Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF). 2004 – Mongolia Branch Office was registered as our 1st Branch Office abroad. 2008 – We started providing our services in China. 2012 – Kyrgyzstan Branch Office was registered as our 2nd Branch Office abroad. 2013 – TFCF launched a Child Protection Day on April 28. Swaziland Branch Office was registered as our 3rd Branch Office abroad. 2014 – Vietnam Branch Office was registered as our 4th Branch Office abroad.

Livelihood Supports

With a scene of devastation everywhere in a little town of northern China in 1937, Dr. J. Calvitt Clarke, a foreign Presbyterian minister, tried to contribute himself to save more orphans and homelessness away from the war. After he went back the States, he called for the public’s attention and established the China’s Children Fund (abbreviated as CCF) in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Through one-on-one sponsorship program, the sponsors contributed a fixed amount on a regular basis to help with children in need. Even after TFCF’s independence, they still insist to carry on this concept in order to help their sponsored children become self-reliant. TFCF provides them with livelihood supports as well as an opportunity to continue their education through sponsorship program, scholarship, emergency relief fund, life care, nutrition program and Self-Reliant Program for Youth.

(1) Sponsorship Program The sponsorship program is designed to assist the children and families in dire need. TFCF has started their Family Sponsorship Program for needy children and families since 2008. In total, TFCF has helped 183,047 children and youths become self-reliant.

(2) Scholarships and Student Aids Several types of scholarships and student financial aids are given to the sponsored children and/or their siblings for encouraging them to continue schooling and prevent them from dropping out of schools due to financial difficulties.

(3) Emergency Relief Fund Emergency Relief Fund is distributed when their assisted families encountering any financial difficulties. In total, the accumulated amount has reached NT$23,546,891.

(4) Life Care TFCF provides social resources and volunteers to help low-income families to get through hard times. The services include financial/ in kind assistance, house care, household duties, day care and foster care.

(5) Nutrition Program TFCF has provided Nutrition Program to the children from pre-school to high school since Sept. 2009. 1. Grant for meals at school: It includes the three meals. 2. Supplement: It includes milk powder (for age 3-6) and UHT milk. 3. Grant for age 0-3: The milk powder for the child under age 3 should be purchased with caution. With the receipt, the social worker could apply for the grant on behalf of the parents. The grant is distributed based on the age and the limitation.

(6) Self-Reliant Program for Youth TFCF has developed the “Self-Reliant Program for Youth” since 2008, including career planning, interpersonal relationship, financial management, vocational consultation, leadership training and camping scheme. Through this program, they help the youth become self-reliant and be able to devote themselves to benefiting the needy children and families in the future.

References

Taiwan Fund for Children and Families Wikipedia