Keelung eases rules, lifts age limit for foster parents
HELP NEEDED:
Responding to a rising number of children in need of foster care, the city government aims to widen the pool of families who can apply
By Lin Hsin-han and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Keelung City Government has eased regulations on foster parenting, opening it to people over 65, citing a rapidly aging population.
As of the end of last month, about 64,000 of the city’s residents, or 17.52 percent, were aged 65 or older, Keelung Department of Social Affairs data showed.
Foster families have not escaped the trend — among the 44 foster homes housing 65 minors, 13 foster parents were aged 60 to 64, and five were 65 years old, the data showed.