Health ministry eases counseling room rules for welfare centers

The health ministry relaxed facility standards for social welfare centers by removing the mandatory requirement for soundproofing in counseling rooms.

Under the revised Enforcement Rules of the Social Welfare Services Act, operators now only need to secure counseling rooms without installing specific soundproof equipment. The change modifies Article 23 to replace the phrase "must be equipped with soundproof facilities" with a simpler mandate to "secure counseling rooms." The ministry said the previous standard had low field acceptance and was effectively dormant.

The amendment also clarifies the administrative hierarchy by distinguishing between entities operated by social welfare corporations and those run as direct facilities. Provincial governors will now supervise corporations, while city and county officials will oversee individual facilities. Beyond facility standards, the revision explicitly defines the scope of welfare center operations to include case management, service provision, and community organization. These changes aim to establish a foundation for centers to perform active, integrated functions such as discovering residents in welfare blind spots, providing crisis intervention, linking services, and building local welfare networks.