Children Are Us seeks donations for Northern Taiwan care facility

In 2013, the Children Are Us Foundation created Swan Castle, a full-day care center for individuals with intellectual disabilities. It''s a safe haven in Kaohsiung that provides accommodation and support to 15 to 64-year-olds, especially when their parents get too old to care for them. The foundation is currently raising funds to build a similar home in Northern Taiwan.

In this video, entertainer Tony Yang serves as an ambassador for the Children Are Us Foundation. At Swan Castle in Kaohsiung, he meets Chiao-ling, who had just undergone cancer surgery. Social workers and teachers from the Children Are Us foundation have helped Chiao-ling recover through rehabilitation and surgery. She''s been living at the Kaohsiung Swan Castle for seven years.

Tony Yang
Entertainer
I went to Swan Castle in Cishan, Kaohsiung, to see how people there live, and to better understand their situation. I wanted to let the public know about them, because when people with intellectual disabilities get older, the burden on their older parents also gets heavier. I wanted to encourage people to help share the burden of these parents, to help care for their children together, so that they can have an easier future, and carry on with more dignity and joy.

The Children Are Us Foundation was launched in 1995. It runs multiple services such as a daycare, foster homes, and small workshops to support the needs of people with mental disabilities in Taiwan. The foundation also has family-care support programs, consulting on resources, and health care centers that help numerous families throughout Taiwan.

Sunny Hu
Children Are Us Foundation public affairs director
We launched our program mainly because we discovered that these people with disabilities were showing signs of advanced aging at about 35. At that point, the parents who take care of them were around 70 to 80 years old. At that point, these parents are another group that needs to be taken care of. So we have this care program so that they can get assistance for their needs. There are many care-service programs, like the one at Swan Castle that helps Chiao-ling here next to me. The castle provides 24-hour accommodation. We have many homes like this that provide accommodation. If their situation improves, we arrange for them to work at a restaurant or our bakery.

Stephany Yang
Formosa News reporter
All the goods at this bakery are handmade by the children and adults from the Children Are Us Foundation.

Children Are Us also operates bakeries and restaurants that employ people with intellectual disabilities. By supporting these businesses, consumers can treat themselves to a delicious meal while strengthening the livelihoods of people with disabilities.