Social Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government

Establishment Phase

• On November 8, 1945 the Kaohsiung City Government was established. "Social Affairs" was assigned to the Civil Service Division.
• On October 1, 1961 the Social Affairs Unit of the Civil Service Division was expanded to be the "Social Affairs Division".
• On October 1, 1973 the Social Affairs Division was promoted to be the Social Affairs Bureau.
• On July 1, 1979 Kaohsiung City was restructured to be a municipality directly under the central government. The title of Social Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government has been used until today. There are four divisions and five offices under the Bureau which handles group training of civic organizations; social assistance; labor administration; management of social welfare funds; management of charity corporate bodies; children, juveniles, women, seniors and the physically and mentally disabled welfare; community development, cooperative administration, affordable housing, statistics and analysis of social surveys and social work promotion. Additionally, the management of the former "Kaohsiung Senior-Honoring Care Home" located in Yanchao was assigned under the Bureau’s jurisdiction.

Division Phase

• On April 11, 1980 "Kaohsiung City Examination Agency for Workers and Laborers" was established. On July 1, 1986 it was renamed "Kaohsiung City Labor Standards Inspection Office".
• In 1987 "Kaohsiung City Government Labor Bureau Bo-Ai Vocational Training Center" was established. On March 1, 1998 the Center was transferred to the Labor Affairs Bureau.
• On January 15, 1988 the "Council of Labor Affairs" was established under the Executive Yuan. The Bureau's "Labor Standards Inspection Office", labor services and its affiliated "Job Training Center" were shifted to the newly-established Labor Bureau’s jurisdiction.

Expansion Phase

• On December 1, 1989 the "Children's Welfare Service Center" was established to promote children's physical and mental health and parental education and to strengthen family functionality.
• On September 19, 1993 the "Department of Social Affairs Women, Children, Youth’s Center" was set up.
• On May 12, 1994 the former "Senior Recreational Center" was renamed "The Social Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government Ren-ai Senior Citizens' Home" to handle seniors’ free and self-paid shelter and care matters.
• On September 28, 1994 the "Home for the Disabled", the first public care center providing education, daycare, and welfare services for the physically and mentally disabled in Taiwan was set up.
• On July 1, 1997 the former "Senior Recreational Center" was reorganized as the "Senior Citizens' Service Center", the first service institution in Taiwan offering leisure, entertainment, studying, daycare, rehabilitation and counseling services to senior citizens.
• On December 13, 1997 the "Kaohsiung City Sexual Assault Prevention Center" was established in accordance with the Sexual Assault Prevention Act.
• On March 1, 1998 under the Prevention Act for the Physically and Mentally Disabled, the "Disabled Welfare Division" was established to enhance services for the disabled.
• On June 22, 1999 based on the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, the Sexual Assault Prevention Center was merged to be "The Center for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention of Kaohsiung City".
• On August 27, 2000 the "Department of Social Affairs Women’s Center" was set up.
• On January 1, 2003 "The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Center" was set up.
• On January 1, 2003 the former "Funeral and Burial Management Agency" was handed over to the Civil Service Bureau.

City-county Merger Phase

• On December 25, 2010 Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County were merged. The Social Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government was merged with the Bureau of Social Affairs, Kaohsiung County Government to be the Social Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government. After the merger there were seven divisions, four offices and five affiliated organizations. There are 464 employees (including the affiliated organizations) working in the Bureau (there are 441 actual budgeted posts).
• On January 1, 2012, in accordance with "Early Childhood Education and Care Act" to advocate child care integration policy, child care centre matters were transferred to the Education Bureau's jurisdiction. The three established posts of the Bureau and 109 established posts from 11 public child care centers were also relocated to the Education Bureau. The Bureau's established posts were amended to 202 persons.

Implementing the Social Work Recruiting Plan

• On December 25, 2010 Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County were merged. 23 social workers were added.
• In 2013, 18 social workers were added to the staff quota. The staff quota of the Bureau and its affiliated organizations were revised as follows: the Bureau, 211 persons; the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Center, 54 persons; Home For The Disabled, 50 persons; Ren-ai Senior Citizens' Home, 17 persons; the Child Welfare Service Center, 20 persons; and the Senior Citizens' Service Center, 18 persons.

Organizational Structural Flattening

Planning of organizational restructuring started on November 2011. The plan was based on the theory of organizational flattening, and the aim was to review the responsibilities and manpower of various divisions and social affairs service centers to make it more convenient for people to apply for welfare and provide them with more efficient service.

In 2013, in order to administrate the promotion and adjustment of social workers' job titles, the Bureau completed the organizational structural reform which was based on the concepts of small social affairs bureaus. Social affairs service centers were implemented in the east, west, south, north and central districts, namely Cishan, Zuoying, Renwu, Gangshan and Cianjhen-five districts of the City. A Class 8 or 9 supervisor was assigned to each service center to administrate various matters. 3 or 4 small social affairs service centers were under their jurisdiction.

The former Center for Women, Children, Youth of Kaohsiung County and the Women’s Center of Kaohsiung City were combined to enhance the service capacity for women and youths. The Department of Social Affairs, Women, Children, Youth Center was set up. A Class 8 or 9 supervisor was assigned to administrate various matters.

Since the establishment of the Social Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, with the 16 ex-directors and present director Hsieh, Li-Ly’s visionary guidance, the endeavors of all the staff along with the support from every circle of enterprises and civil groups, the Social Affairs Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government has steadily made its mark on the social work and welfare with its painstaking endeavors and has formed a solid social welfare service team which will continually serve the disadvantaged groups in Kaohsiung City.