The Invisible Crisis for Children
In Taiwan, there are children who are born here and grow up here —
who take their first steps, speak their first words, and begin to dream just as we once did.
Yet from the very beginning, they are placed outside the system.
Not because of them, but because their parents are undocumented migrant workers.
Nationality
These children are denied the most basic protections that others take for granted — access to rights, services, and recognition that most children never have to think about.
Healthcare
Exclusion from the health insurance leaves medical care out of reach. A simple illness can become a life-altering financial crisis due to the absence of legal protection.
Education
Without a registered identity, stable access to formal education remains uncertain. These children risk being excluded from the opportunities and pathways that shape a child's future.
The Invisible Gap for Teens
Through working alongside these children, we began to see another problem:
one closer to home.
Without Direction
Without Authority
Without Structure
Many young people want to make a difference, yet do not know where to begin.
Good intentions exist in abundance.
What is missing is a clear and accessible entry point.
Some students believe they are "just students" that creating real change is reserved for adults, professionals, or credentials they have not yet earned.
Others have the drive but lack the guidance, mentorship, and platform needed to turn concern into commitment.
Without support, action rarely sustains.
What is missing is not only resources for children.
What is missing is a long-term structure that enables young people
to participate, take responsibility, and grow through real social engagement.
Stateless children were the starting point of our awareness —
but the challenge we are addressing is broader.
It is about how young people step into society and learn to lead.
That realization is what led us to create The Lantern Foundation.
We are building more than a nonprofit —
we are building a structure where students learn to lead through action.
Bring your skills.
Bring your ideas.
Bring your willingness to grow.
Whether you want to collaborate,
contribute your expertise,
or step forward as a volunteer,
there is a place for you here.