In 2019, the Hualien County Government commissioned the Department of Child Development and Family Studies at Tzu Chi University to manage the “Hualien County HuiLan Parent-Child Center.” At the inauguration tea party on the 9th, County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei emphasized that the center has been fully renovated based on the concepts of shared learning, playing, and exploring between parents and children. It features age-specific zones and comprehensive planning to create a high-quality family-friendly space.
The HuiLan Parent-Child Center is located on the 4th floor of the Hualien County Social Welfare Building. For babies aged 0–2, it features an exploration zone including areas for gross motor activities, tactile play, and building blocks. For children aged 3–6, there’s a hands-on experience zone with a puzzle corner, reading nook, block area, and role-play corner.
Wu Shu-juan, a faculty member from Tzu Chi University’s Department of Child and Family Studies, explains the various toys for ages 0–6, stating that the age-segmented service model provides developmentally appropriate and safe environments. This allows parents to interact and explore with their children, share parenting experiences, and engage in mutual exchanges.
Tzu Chi University President Wang Ben-rong said that planting good seeds will nurture courageous and responsible citizens in the future. He expressed gratitude for the collaboration between the county government and the university, which provides excellent internship opportunities for students in the Department of Child and Family Studies. The partnership also integrates coursework, giving research-based teaching materials and lesson plans real-world application. The parent-child center can thus deepen parenting education. In the current era of low birth rates, he expressed hearty approval.
Hsu Chen-wei pointed out that all children aged 2–6 in the county can attend preschool and school for free. The county government is fully committed to ensuring the healthy and safe growth of young children without compromise. In addition to the HuiLan Parent-Child Center, other towns such as Xincheng, Ji’an, Fenglin, and Yuli have established distinctive local parent-child centers offering parenting resources and play spaces for families in those areas. The county government will continue to expand these facilities so that all 13 townships and cities will have parent-child spaces.
Hsu Chen-wei, Wang Ben-rong, Social Affairs Director Chang I-hua, County Councilors Chang Huai-wen, Hsu Hsueh-yu, Lee Cheng-wen, and Chang Mei-hui entered the newly renovated HuiLan Parent-Child Center to experience the various facilities with the children. Professional childcare staff provided guidance to facilitate interactive learning through play.
For the 3–6 year old role-play zone, the theme this time is “home-style banquet.” Through role-playing, children can fully enjoy the fun of pretending. Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei even donned a chef’s uniform to play with the children, allowing each child to cook creatively and experience the traditional banquet culture of master chefs.
(China Times)