After introducing the concept of disempower and empower,

In this section, I would like to take a look at the philosophy and policy of the service

and the disempower challenges we faced with when implementing empower by discussing its service model.

What is out-of-home placement? In many welfare states,

out-of-home replacement is always an approach when we found the family losing its function of protection, such as being in distress, or being abused.

It is a service that public power intervenes to protect children and youths from persecution or carelessness.

This kind of service is a service concept to implement on behalf of parents.

Therefore, among the types of out-of-home replacement, it is divided into two major categories in Taiwan.

In fact, there are many western countries adopting two categories of service model for out-of-home replacement.

One is called family-like care, such as foster care, relative care.

The other is called institutional care, like the orphanage we've heard of. Or it is called children's home in some areas.

Usually the family-like care is chosen from these caring models for priority consideration.

Because we know that, home, is a necessary environment for children to grow up. Only in many societies and in Taiwan society,

youths are more likely to enter the so-called institutional care model, for they are unlikely to be able to back home anymore.

When the family fails to make them able to return home, we expect them could be trained for self-reliance and growth in the institution.

As for the institutional care for children and youths in Taiwan, except those reasons I just talked about,

like distress, hardship or domestic abuse, we also include three other major categories.

The first one is called sex trade, or it is recently renamed as sexual exploitation case.

The so-called sex trade or the case of sex exploitation, refers to children or youths engaged in the so-called sex consideration behavior,

or some children and youths who may have sex for consideration. We will take care of them through institutional care.

Another one is children and youths having difficulty adopting to the family.

What kind of children have difficulty adopting to the family? It usually refers to children having a habit of running away from home.

The other kind of children are those from the judicial system. These children usually enter the court due to their deviant behaviors,

and they need to be placed in the relevant welfare agencies receiving children for protection through the court.

As a result, except the children being in distress, hardship, domestic abused, these three types of children are mostly because of some of their own explicit deviant behaviors,

which led them may need to enter the institutional care. Of course, I will consider about his family function. If the family function is not good, plus the children have these behaviors,

the probability of entering institutional care will be consequently enhanced.

So what exactly is the out-of-home replacement? Is it the last stop in our service system?

Actually in Taiwan, besides the serious loss of function of the family is a necessary condition for children entering the placement system,

it is also related to the deviant behaviors of the children's own.

As I have just said, youths are more easily to have these behaviors than children.

There is another more interesting and unique phenomenon in Taiwan, that is, according to our law,

when children and youths are disobedient, their parents, guardians, or adults who actually take care of them can propose the so-called resettlement

based on the article 33rd of the "Child And youth Welfare and Rights Protection Act".

What is disobedience? It is when you do your best but without effect,

or when the child has misconduct, violent, and other deviant behaviors,

and the parents or caregivers have tried to correct the child but failed.

Under such a serious situation, it is able for caregiver to ask for intervention of public power,

to let the child live in the institution. What does the well-known legal element of the law mean behind?

Let me share an example with you. It is a real case that indeed happened in Taiwan society.

Once there was a father who took his son of the original marriage to his mother for care due to his remarriage.

Then, after remarriage with his later wife, they formed a new family and moved abroad.

The child lived with his grandmother. By the age of 13, he began to have some deviant behaviors. He stole the money from his grandmother and didn't go to school.

His grandma couldn't discipline the child anymore, so she told the father, her son,

"Bring your son back and teach him, I can't help him, I am too old to teach him."

However the father and the later wife were unwilling to take him back for the reason that he already had another family.

The more important reason is, this child has some deviant behaviors. The father said that he was too busy with his work to teach him. The stepmother said that she didn't want to teach a child who is not her child.

So at this time, they said that they had tried so hard, but they couldn't teach him anymore.

What did they do? They went to the lawyers and ask the lawyer to help them with any legal provisions to entrust the government to resettle the son.

What would you think, if you were the son?

Parents cannot discipline their children, so they can decide to legally send their children

to our so-called professional replacement system to teach them.

The parent said, "I did pay it. I paid anything the government asked for, and I won't break the promise."

I have taken the responsibility. I take care of the child. But the question is whether money can measure that?

Is that you pay money to the organization means you take care of your child?

Who decide whether the child need to be arranged? Parents? or child?

In the example, the father even abandoned his child legally.

He said he is incapable of disciplining his child because his child is misbehaved. But how the misbehavior come from?

The child was send to the grandma, losing love of the parents. How can we expect he grows up healthy from the view of ecosystem？

How the grandma can discipline the child that her son doesn't care about？

So in such a process, so-called entrusted resettlement provides a possible service for parents to treat their misbehaved children.

On the other hand, is so-called misbehavior a excuse for parents to

send children to country and society to take care of？

What is the meaning behind?

How do children treat themselves when they see their parents make this decision？How can be loved and concerned about？

Of course, someone said that if either the father or the grandma doesn't want the child, it is also not good for the child to live on the streets.

Resettlement is still good. Indeed, resettlement has its feature though it seems to be a last resort.

But there is no denying that in all resettlement, whether family-style or institutional,

we provide these children with safety, caring and learning environment.

Otherwise where do these children go to？He may only survive on streets. As mentioned in last lecture, surviving on streets is difficulty and risky.

In the organization, we will meet his basic needs

We let him have enough meals. In many families, this is a luxury.

They have good medical care. Someone takes them to the doctor when they are sick.

They are also protected from being harmed. They do not have to see violence, and no longer have to be suffered from the threats and worries of violence.

They can go to school well, have a stable school life to learn. Their economy situation won't be poor.

Most importantly, some of trauma in his past experience of growth

can be repaired by professors.

Therefore, resettlement service is not unavoidable evil.

It is just undeniable that some restrictions are inevitable under the mode of institutional resettlement service.

From the beginning, who arranged for them to live in these places？

The children threatened and injured by violence come to a unfamiliar environment, how much the right of self-determination do they have?

Of course, in the practical operation of Taiwan, we will let the children visit the organization and see where he is about to be housed and whether he likes.

But the point is, how many choices do I have? How many places can I choose?

If I don't like, but also how？ These options are limited.

Children choose agencies, agencies will also consider children whether they are suitable for coming to live in this place.

Therefore, resettlement services itself inevitably have some authority and mandatory,

And the mandatory, especially for the cases that I mentioned just now, such as sexual trading and sexual exploitation. The children who have tendency to run away from home and are turned from judicature

have no choice but to face strangers and live with them.

If you once lived in dormitories, or if you've lived with strangers, you will find that

Everyone has quite some different habits, but we're all bounded to compromise with each other all day long. That's not an easy task.

With the limited living space within the agencies, also with the high density of Taipei metropolitan area, where can a large unit been built at?

Every children must share spaces. They're can't own privacy and have to face complicated relationship around.

They also have to face the stiff rules designed for fairness made by the agency for administration purpose.

And don't forget how society will perceive them. I know none of the children living in the agency will let their classmates

know he lives in such institution, all because how the society labeled them.

And how does this labeling happen? The kids know.

So regarding resettlement agencies, we discussed about its benefits along with its limitation.

One would found that during this sort of caring methods, the children usually find themselves trapped within.

They are forced to live here. If considered along their own deviant behavior, they might consider

that they're here because of punishment, they think they're locked up in here

And this is what my respondent told me during my own research, finding themselves trapped within the agency.

I was confined in this place. People promised to protect me. However, I did not feel like being protected.

So the management of institutions makes them feel deprived. They felt that they have done something wrong.

They felt themselves punished, they felt a rigid atmosphere of growth, they felt negative.

After being harmed by their original family, they came to the institution and felt themselves confined and punished.

So in such an environment, how are we going to take care of them?

I often talk to the staff of the institution, how should we do to teach these children?

I may share with you first. In Taiwan's institutional care, actually it's not only in Taiwan,

In all the western countries, when speaking of institutional care, we definitely mention some management. Such as a family has its rules, a school has its rules,

Every organization has its own corresponding rules.

Then what are the major requirements of the placement and care agencies in Taiwan? They are about life, behaviors, of course.

We often call it family rules. The family, refers to this home, this institution.

For example, children told me that some specific behavior is forbidden, such as having a smartphone.

Wow! Many people would doubt, "Without cellphones, can this generation survive?"

Why don't they allow phones? Think about the reason, it is very interesting.

They do not worry about their health, what do the worry about? They are worry that the mobile charge will be too high

and not affordable, so they don't let the kids have phones to help save money.

Don't forget, these kids do not have families as their backup. If they over use the mobile services, who pays for it?

We do not want kids to be in debt, right? The organization says, "We help them manage their money. Don't waste money.

"Don't bring cellphones. Just call the employees if you need to be in contact."

But for youths to be in the current social culture without a phone, they will be considered as weirdos.

This is a very difficult way of life, but the agency prohibits having one.

Some organizations even disallows glass products. Glass products, what are they?

For example, a toner container. Why is that disallowed? Have you thought of the reason? It is also simple.

They are afraid that they will break them and use for self-torturing. Hearing this reason, it's all about protection.

To the kids, it's all about restriction. Protection and restriction only has a hair of difference.

These are examples of bans on specific act.

There are many agencies with so many different rules. There are more rules related to daily schedule and living.

All the children should follow the schedule in order to fit themselves in the group living.

With so many rules of finishing homework, housekeeping, bathing on time.

Because when so many people share resources together, of course, we have to wait in line, and obey the routine and schedule. Otherwise, the agencies cannot operate.

Third, the restriction of related behavior. Go home right after school and don't star outside.

Keep tidy and clean of bedroom. Be responsible for the cleaning of the public space by turns. We can find this type of regulation at home.

Though many youths are not under strict order at what time to go back home. Unified standards should be set to avoid bias and unfairness.

Also with concern about bias and unfairness, rewards and punishments for behaviors are clear in these agencies.

Points, punishments, and prizes. What kind of punishment? Not being allowed to play outside,

not being able to browse the Internet. The right to use the Internet seems to be easy for most kids who live in home, like you can listen to my lecture now.

However, for arranged kids, browsing the Internet is regulated.

The right to browse the Internet can be deprived. If you do not follow the rule, I will not allow you to use the Internet.

I deprive you of the recreation you want the most. However, this consequence turns out to be an award in a kid's eyes.

I do not do this in order to avoid punishment. I want to get the prize so I decide to do this.

The educational value behind is hard to be understood by these children.

So, what do you observe through the arranged process?

Let's think about why our organization needs these regulations?

Did you get the right answer?

Exactly, these rules are the limitations our caregivers be faced with.

We used to experience that a caregiver of the organization

told me sadly: teacher, did you know that a parent of our child came to question me.

"For what?" I said, "He said that my child did not get nearsighted at home, but he wears glasses now after coming here. You definitely let him watch TV every day." he replied.

This caregiver was very angry. "Miss, this kid didn't get near-sighted here,

"He already got near-sighted himself. The family does not bring him to have a checkup and brought him to us. We thought there is a problem and

"Got him glasses, and these guardians blame us! Isn't that hurtful?

"Won't I feel wronged?" This kind of things happens a lot.

We found that these kids do not get proper health care from their families. These families are unable to discipline their kids properly.

However, he blamed our caregivers that they are unable to educate his children properly. Whose responsibility is this exactly?

So in this kind of process, caregiver are filled with pressure and are wronged. Once something happened, the public opinion is against them.

They are also blamed by everyone. So for the organizations, they told me that,

"What else can I do other than managing and discipline? These kids aren't mine!"

Sometimes, this responsibility is even greater than taking care of your own kids! So during our discussion, we often discussed

how to set the rules and discipline these kids reasonably so that rather than having them feel disempowered,

they feel that the organizations are training them and empowering them, allowing them to

become good citizens. In the social service field, within the usual services system,

we often discuss how to avoid "repeating the disempowerment" and to "fulfill the empowerment"?

It is actually very difficult. I am not asking the organizations to give their permission to discipline up, of course.

A good family has their rules as well. Clear rules are very important for children to grow.

The point is, we need to think whether our rules are reasonable or not.

Whether the youths are able to understand the reasons and importance behind the rules.

And whether these rules, under the name of protection, are limiting the uniqueness and initiative of the youths.

A arranged youth once told me, "I want to be 18 years old. I want to start controlling my own life. "

Apparently, not only do the resettlement agencies need to be a place for youths, they need to be a place for the youths be empowered.

They also need to prepare the youths to be able to live independently after they leave.

So, how do we carry this out? Fortunately, Taiwan has already started putting attention on the possibility that

these arranged kids are getting disempowered these years. That is why we hope to promote some strategies and

some services to empowerment them and help them step into the community and

become a good citizen. This is a self-reliance training program.

What is the ability of self-reliance? In fact, it was not a subject that was too much to discuss. Everyone should be self-reliant

No one in my house taught me how to be independent.

Since the time I was born, my parents only told me, one day, I will grow up, and I will soar outside.

Of course, how the environment cultivates me and let me learn the ability to be independent

is very important. Being independent is not just being economically independent. Many people say that, oh, I can be independent when I have money.

Money, however, is not the only condition. For these children, their psychological and emotional autonomy is also very important.

Then why do these children in the organization need to cultivate the ability to live independently more?

Did you get the right answer?

The reason is simple, they do not have families to rely on.

They don't have supports, their lives were arranged by others. From the moment they entered the organization,

they were restricted by norms, regulations, and requirements. They can not make decisions by themselves.

They are disempowered, so they certainly have a sense of powerlessness toward the future,

that is the feeling of disempowerment mentioned in the previous section.

So how can our arrangement make them feel that they can live on their own?

The cultivation of the ability to be independent become a very important empowerment strategy.

Then what is "being independent"? As I said, not just economic independence, it's also important to be mentally and psychologically independent.

Of course, having no money will not work.

so we manage to make them have enough economic ability to live without relying on their families and to form their new family in the future.

When we cultivate them the ability to live independently, we divide the ability into two categories.

One is tangible abilities, the other is intangible abilities. What is tangible? For example, taking care of oneself, finding house to live,

and taking care of one's health. Someone would take care of him when he was sick in the past, and now

he has to find a doctor. One must be able to communicate and socialize with others so that he can find jobs and get employment.

One should maintain his economic ability so that he can develop new parenting skills, since his parents

failed to be a good parenting model in the past. One will have sex education to help he can form a good family. One should have household skills

so that one will pay the electricity fee and the water fee when it is time to pay.

One should have financial management skills so that he will not spend thousands of money in just a few days after he goes out.

These are examples we have seen. How he arranges his leisure life and how he uses social resources

are tangible abilities. What about intangible abilities? As the name suggests,

they are vital conditionals that support these youngsters but we may not be able to see from the outside.

Such as self-esteem, decision-making ability, responsible attitude,

positive relationships, the ability to control their emotions,

, the ability to deal with loneliness since they may have to face the possibility of lodging alone,

having a reasonable expectation of themselves, and live peacefully with their families.

Many people say "Don't they have a family? their families are still there except beggarly children and orphans."

There are children in our organization whose parent did not raise them and when they went out, their family came to ask him for money.

Their family hoped that he could bear the economic burden of the family.

Can they not give money? How can they go back and help their parents, who abandoned them, on their limited resources?

These abilities are what we hope children to develop

So, the more tangible and intangible ability these children who leave the organization possess,

the more he can live in the society freely and independently.

This process is worth cheering, not miserable.

It is so important that he or she can face the environment on his own and

obtain rights, and ensure the protection of his or her rights.

Therefore the training to make them live independently is not a matter of expediency to solve the problem they may encounter after leaving the organization.

Not to say negatively that with these abilities, they will not think about crimes.

We do this to help them move towards the path of developing into adults.

We hope to assist them so that they may be able to create their future of their own.

Think about children in the organization, think about the surrounding youths.

How we can help them create future of their own on the way becoming adults

is a challenge that we should work for together.

4-3 家外安置服務：充權或消權？(Out of Home Placement Service-Empower or Disempower)

少年福利與權利 (Welfare and Rights of Youth)

Conoce a los instructores