Eased foreign helper policy draws mixed reactionsStaff writer, with CNAThe easing of rules on hiring migrant domestic workers has drawn mixed reactions, with employers and brokers welcoming the move as better suited to caregiving needs, while labor and childcare advocates raised concerns about worker protections. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved of a measure relaxing rules on hiring foreign domestic workers, allowing families with at least one child younger than 12 to apply for a helper starting from April 13, under a new policy aimed at easing childcare burdens. A survey conducted by the alliance last year found that access to migrant domestic workers would do little to boost the employment of Taiwanese women, he added. Taiwan Labor Front secretary-general Yang Shu-wei (楊書瑋) said easing eligibility could undermine the job stability of about 25,000 childcare workers in Taiwan, including babysitters and preschool personnel. The measure would render foreign domestic workers as “low-paid workers with long hours,” Yang said.

Source: Taipei Times March 19, 2026 17:14 UTC