According to media reports, the Taichung City Social Affairs Bureau is piloting an “In-Home Confinement Service” this year. It will entrust agencies to recruit professional “confinement nurses” to provide 80 hours of free in-home confinement service. The program is expected to begin as early as July, with only 120 slots available for new mothers this year. The city government emphasized that mothers can only choose one from the free in-home confinement service and the maternity allowance.
Update: “Closed”
Taichung City Social Affairs Bureau Director Lu Jiande pointed out that this program can create employment opportunities for middle-aged and older women and provide affordable confinement services, achieving two goals at once. The Women and Children’s Welfare Section of the Taichung City Social Affairs Bureau stated that, based on an hourly wage of NT$250, 80 hours of service equals NT$20,000, which is more generous than the NT$10,000 per child maternity allowance. However, the number of slots is limited, and applications require a waiting list. This year is a pilot program. After the initial 80 hours of free service are used up, applicants can apply for additional services at a lower price than other options.
Regulations Regarding Free Postpartum Care and Maternity Allowance for Pregnant Mothers:
-
Eligibility: Pregnant women registered in Taichung City who are more than 3 months pregnant are eligible to apply.
-
Cost: 80 hours of free in-home postpartum care service, approximately NT$20,000 (8 hours per day, calculated at NT$250 per hour, for a total of 10 days).
-
Services Offered: Postpartum meal preparation, parenting guidance for new parents, and professional consultation.
-
Other Regulations:
-
Families with newborns can only choose one of two options: receive maternity allowance (NT$10,000 per birth) or in-home postpartum care.
-
A pilot program will be launched in the second half of 2016, initially serving approximately 120 mothers.
-
The 80 hours of care must be used continuously.
-
Continued services can be applied for after 10 days, but at the newborn’s own expense.
-
Postpartum meal ingredients are at the newborn’s family’s own expense.
The city government stated that in-home postpartum care centers charge from NT$3,500 to over NT$10,000 per day, including three meals and snacks, with professional staff providing full-time care for the newborn, along with parenting, weight loss, and breastfeeding classes. Despite the high prices, beds are in high demand. In-home postpartum care costs at least NT$3,000 per day for 8 hours, excluding postpartum meals.
Many expectant mothers approve of this policy, but Ms. Zhuang, a new mother, said that there is currently no licensing system for in-home postpartum care personnel, and she worries about encountering postpartum care providers who only know how to cook but not how to care for children. Mr. Tian, a new father, said that at a postpartum care center, the baby is cared for at night, and the mother has more time to rest. At home, the postpartum care is limited to only 8 hours, which is more challenging for new parents.
The Taichung City Social Affairs Bureau stated that most first-time mothers go to postpartum care centers, while second-time mothers tend to choose home care. The city government’s free 80-hour subsidy can be used “continuously.” Mothers can apply directly after giving birth, or they can go to a postpartum care center first and apply after returning home.