Taipei: The Ministry of Labor (MOL) has initiated a care program to assist seriously ill or injured migrant live-in caregivers in their recovery and return to work.

According to Focus Taiwan, the program allows employers of affected caregivers to request house calls by social workers. These social workers assess the caregivers’ conditions and arrange appropriate medical assistance or admission to shelters. Employers can access these services by contacting the local government’s migrant worker consultation center, the MOL’s Direct Hiring Service Center, or by calling 1955.

Employers may also request substitute caregivers during the caregivers’ leave through the government’s respite service program by calling 1966 or through a short-term care service program via local government channels. The 1955 hotline will follow up one month after a request to ensure that both the care recipient and the caregiver have received necessary support.

Chuang Kuo-liang, deputy head of the Workforce Development Agency’s Cross-Border Workforce Management Division under the MOL, stated that the program’s goal is to facilitate the quick return of injured or sick migrant workers to their roles while alleviating the burden on employers. As of January 2025, MOL data indicated the presence of approximately 198,000 migrant live-in caregivers in Taiwan.