Taiwan has a vast network of social welfare services, provided by both state-funded and private organizations. But all too often, families that qualify for help are never detected, and neither do they ever reach out for help. FTV discovered one such case - a single mother from the Philippines and her young daughter. Tonight in our Sunday special report, we ask how families like this one can go unnoticed by Taiwan''s social welfare system. We also meet the people trying to repair the social safety net before it''s too late to help.

Night falls, and the city slowly lights up. For most, home is a cozy space to be. But at this house near Taoyuan''s Xinwu Industrial Park, no matter how many lights go on, a gloomy atmosphere persists.

The walls of the makeshift bedroom are wooden dividers. The space is devoid of furniture, except for an old desk in a corner of the living room.

This is the home that seventh-grader Hsiao Hsin returns to every day after class. Usually she''s all by herself, with nobody to turn to for homework help.

Her mother is Marbha Morias, a 51-year old immigrant from the Philippines. Although she''s lived in Taiwan for more than a decade, she can speak very little Chinese.

Before his passing, her late husband had been unemployed for seven or eight years. Despite the language barrier and the shortage of employment in the countryside, she had to figure out a way to pay rent and raise her children. Now, she makes a living together with a friend, selling homemade snacks.

Marbha Morias
Philippine immigrant
If I were to work at a factory, I wouldn''t have been able to look after my daughter. My husband was of no help.

In February of 2021, her husband passed away to illness, making her a single parent. Now, she wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to prepare the ingredients and pinch out little dessert balls. She then travels to industrial parks in Taoyuan and Hsinchu to peddle the snacks by the box to migrant workers. Her work day ends well past 9 p.m.

Marbha Morias
Philippine immigrant
How many we sell depends on the day. I sell more on Saturday and Sunday, about 100 boxes each day. From Monday to Friday, it''s about 50 boxes per day.

In Taiwan''s social welfare system, households like hers are considered "disadvantaged." They often need a variety of support from social services.

Liu Tai-liang
Taoyuan Department of Social Welfare
Put simply in one sentence. It''s households where, due to disease, poverty or other problems, the family support structure is deficient or in need of support. These are the kinds of families that we service. Every year, we get notified of about 10,000 such families.

But even when authorities are alerted of a family in need, the household may not ultimately qualify for government help. There are also cases of families who clearly meet the criteria, but who are never reported to the relevant agencies. That is the case of Marbha''s family. Welfare associations know very well that many families fall through the cracks of Taiwan''s social support system.

Chang Fu-shan
Taiwan Fund for Children and Families
To be honest, I think there are probably a lot of families that are unaccounted for. I think it''s because they might not want to talk about the problems they have at home.

Marbha''s social circle extends to just one or two friends from her home country in Taiwan. As she spends most of her day at work, she doesn''t have the time or energy to find help. Even if she did, she says, she wouldn''t know what to do. Already, raising her family is almost more work than she can keep up with.

There are disadvantaged families of all kinds, both in urban and rural areas, who are never brought into the welfare system. Often, it''s because the families do not actively seek help.

Chang Fu-shan
Taiwan Fund for Children and Families
There are resources available in both urban and rural areas. It just depends on whether families understand how to get help, how to use the system and how to get involved. That''s the main issue.

Government agencies and NGOs offer a variety of resources for disadvantaged households. The difficult part is getting families in need to access them.

Chang Fu-shan
Taiwan Fund for Children and Families
The Taiwan Fund for Children and Families has been operating in Taoyuan for more than 50 years. In the early days, families were introduced to us by borough wardens, or workers from the borough office, or from schools. More recently it''s families who tell each other, who share information with one another. For example, they tell each other that they are getting support from the fund. They might know of other families that have similar needs, and they introduce us to them.

Liu Tai-liang
Taoyuan Department of Social Welfa