The old campus of Houli Junior High School within Houli Sports Park in Taichung City is currently an unused space. The municipal government is working to revitalize and repurpose it, conducting seismic reinforcement work expected to be completed this month. On the 4th, Councilor Chen Bentian invited Vice Mayor Yang Chiung-ying and Social Affairs Bureau Director Peng Huai-chen for a site inspection. In addition to seeking the establishment of classrooms for a senior learning academy, he also advocated for converting the remaining four classrooms into a family-friendly center to provide welfare facilities suitable for all ages.
The Taichung City Government has allocated a budget of NT$10 million for the seismic reinforcement project of eight classrooms in the old campus of Houli Junior High School, managed by the Houli District Office. Completion is scheduled for December, with four of the classrooms to be used by the Houli Senior Learning Academy. Councilor Chen Bentian is advocating for the remaining four classrooms to be planned as a family-friendly center, and hopes the basement can also be used for table tennis training in the future.
Yang Chiung-ying stated that Taichung City’s family-friendly centers serve children aged 0 to 6, offering parenting families various welfare service resources and venues for shared learning, reading, playing, and bonding with their children. The centers also host various parenting education programs and family activities. The renovation budget for the Houli Family-Friendly Center is about NT$9.5 million, with construction expected to begin next year and take five months.
Peng Huai-chen explained that Taichung City established “family-friendly centers” in Nantun and Pinglin in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Starting in 2018, it gradually upgraded five childcare resource centers in Fengyuan, North District, Dali, Dajia, and Shalu into family-friendly centers. A new one will open in Shihkang in December, and with the upcoming Houli Family-Friendly Center next year, it is expected to serve 100,000 visitors annually.
(China Times)