【用感恩回顧2025，用關懷與專業邁入2026】
回顧2025年，令人興奮的是，繼2020年賴念華博士（基金會董事會顧問，國立臺北教育大學退休教授）與資深副執行長雅雯和其他研究者共同發表學術期刊文章，呈現臺灣身心障礙者母親面臨的困境與需求（註1），在同一期刊—《特殊教育研究學刊》（臺灣社會科學核心期刊TSSCI教育學第一級）—又發表身心障礙者之父母與手足的階段性支持需求調查結果（註2、註3）。
期刊發表是透過學術同儕評論，以更完整、更具社會貢獻力的文字方式將研究結果公諸於海內外，為實務工作、學術研究和政策發展提供有力證據。我們很高興基金會能透過學術期刊文章發表，吸引未來更多資源與人力投入特殊需求家庭議題之研究與實務改進。
我們感謝賴博士為基金會和家庭工作引進研究資源，與臺灣師大胡心慈博士（基金會顧問）共同主持專案。還有先後參與專案的研究員/生，對父母和手足分別執行了兩階段的研究活動。
但我們的感動不止於此！基金會要成為社會福利機構的典範，拉近研究與實務的距離，率先使用研究專案裡的壓力與支持需求調查工具，在臺灣的第六個服務據點—新竹，針對潛在家長，了解他們的服務需求，並依據調查結果推出服務方案。
期待
另一項可以期待的，是基金會經典服務方案「充電喘息營」也將在2026年有屬於它的學術期刊文章！由基金會創辦人兼執行長的碩士論文改寫，已經被《輔導與諮商學報》（臺灣社會科學核心期刊TSSCI心理學第二級）接受。透過文章，我們想傳達的訊息有二：第一，喘息服務可以不只是離開照顧任務的短暫休息，它可以有加乘效果，而充電喘息營就是例子；第二，有加乘效果喘息服務應該被視為「早期投資」（early investment），在父母撫養愛奇兒的旅程，越早導入服務越可能收穫正向改變。
基金會做到的，不只是呈現充電喘息營產生的不同效果，翻轉社會大眾對喘息服務的瞭解，更是翻轉社會大眾對照顧身心障礙者的印象。後面這一點在2024年發表的心理健康倡議書已經提到—基金會以「retreat」（退修、靜修）作為喘息營的代表字，擺脫被照顧者是負擔、是累贅的聯想（註4），連歐盟家庭組織聯盟COFACE的代表也表示肯定。
請耐心等待論文出刊。在此之前，關心充電喘息營研究結果發表的朋友，可先參考2025年九月在臺灣師大兒童發展與家庭研究國際學術研討會的口頭發表內容「Evaluating the Effects of a Locally Grown Respite Program on Family Dynamics in Families with Special Needs Children」（暫譯：檢視喘息方案對特殊需求家庭家庭動力的影響）（註5）。
盼望
不少人在節慶後會經歷一段失落期。在我們為期刊與研討會發表等成就慶祝後，就是要回到服務現場的每日運作。
其實我們對於精益求精未曾放慢腳步。
為了用科學的方法了解家庭在使用基金會的服務之後，產生了哪些改變，基金會自2025年起採用家庭生活品質量表（美國堪薩斯大學Beach Center研發，邱淑如博士與邱春瑜博士用臺灣樣本做中文版）紀錄並追蹤服務對象的主觀評量結果。針對量表結果的運用，基金會已經對助人團隊進行兩次內部訓練。我們感謝那些信任基金會、並願意參與研究來精進實務工作的家長完成所有的填答任務！
因為乘載服務對象的期待與社會共好的使命，我們期盼在下一波發表中讓不同國家的人知道華人研究亮點，並產生實質的互動交流。
最後，搬出相關研究建議（註6），可以用來鼓勵身旁的朋友，如果他們的生活因為身心障礙而受影響：
- 要有盼望：教養愛奇兒可能會有額外壓力，但生活品質不必然變得糟糕。這條訊息對剛得知孩子診斷狀況的家長特別重要，尤其是當他們對未來有許多不確定感時。你可以傳遞盼望與鼓勵，就像天使心家族的工作人員，除了要為來到基金會的家庭提供正確資訊、有效處遇或適當轉介，我們在陪伴過程中，必定身體力行、帶領愛奇兒家庭活出喜樂與盼望。
- 維持健康社交關係：研究發現社交關係與家庭生活品質有顯著相關。「心再堅強也不要獨自飛翔」絕對不是口號，而是一種保護因子，讓家庭長出力量去面對生命不同階段的挑戰。天使心家族各服務據點除了提供深度服務，也協助家庭產生各式生活情趣培養與聯誼小組，幫助家長看見照顧者身份之外的另一片天空。
謝謝各界友好天使不間斷的支持。我們期待下次有更多好消息與大家分享。
Reflecting on Our Journey and Embracing the Future
As we reflect on 2025, we are thrilled to share the significant strides made by the Angel Heart Family (the Foundation) in the academic community. Following our inaugural appearance in a scholarly journal in 2020 (Note 1), we are proud to announce that our work has once again gained recognition, with two articles published in the Bulletin of Special Education (Notes 2 and 3). This esteemed journal holds a Tier 1 ranking in the Taiwan Social Sciences Core Index (TSSCI), further affirming the importance of our research.
These peer-reviewed publications not only allow us to share our findings with a wider audience, both domestically and internationally, but also provide valuable insights that can inform practical applications, academic research, and policy development. These articles will inspire future researchers and policymakers to embrace evidence-based decision-making in their work.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Nien-Hwa Lai, Advisor to the Board of Directors and retired professor from National Taipei University of Education, for her invaluable contributions in leveraging research resources to enhance the Foundation’s efforts in supporting special needs families. We also recognize the co-principal investigator, Dr. Shin-Tzu Hu, Advisor to the Foundation, and the dedicated team of researchers and graduate students who played crucial roles in these projects.
Our journey does not end here! The Foundation is committed to serving as a model for social welfare organizations, effectively bridging the gap between research and practical application. With this vision in mind, we initiated a survey project to better understand the service needs of prospective parents at our new regional office in Hsinchu. Based on the insights gathered, we are excited to launch tailored support service programs to meet those needs.
Another exciting development is that our signature respite program, the Family Retreat, will soon be featured in a TSSCI-indexed journal in 2026! This article is a revised version of Chao-Chen Lin’s master’s thesis, our founder and CEO.
Through this publication, we aim to communicate two key messages. First, respite services extend beyond simply providing short breaks from caregiving duties; they can create powerful synergistic effects, as evidenced by the Family Retreat. Second, integrating respite services earlier in the journey of parents raising children with disabilities can lead to significant and positive transformations.
The Foundation’s efforts not only highlight the diverse benefits of our respite camps but also aim to reshape public perception regarding the care of individuals with disabilities. Our advocacy, as underscored in a 2024 statement, emphasizes the importance of using "retreat" to move away from the negative connotations associated with caregiving. As noted, even the representative from the European Union’s Federation of Family Organizations (COFACE) has affirmed our approach (Note 4).
We kindly ask for your patience as we prepare for the publication of this valuable research. In the meantime, for those interested in the findings of the Family Retreat, we invite you to look up an oral presentation at the International Conference on Child Development and Family Studies at National Taiwan Normal University in September 2025. The presentation is titled "Evaluating the Effects of a Locally Grown Respite Program on Family Dynamics in Families with Special Needs Children" (Note 5).
As we celebrate our recent accomplishments, including significant publications in esteemed journals, we remain dedicated to our core mission of providing exceptional service to families.
Our commitment to excellence continues to drive our daily operations.
Since 2025, the Foundation has been utilizing the Family Quality of Life Scale, developed by the Beach Center at the University of Kansas, to gain a deeper understanding of the changes families experience after engaging with our services. Thanks to the valuable contributions of Drs. Shu-Ju Chiu and Chun-Yu Chiu, we now have Chinese versions tailored for Taiwanese samples. This tool enables us to document and track the evaluations of our service recipients, helping us enhance our programs to better meet the needs of the families we serve. We are grateful to the parents who have entrusted us with their insights by participating in our evaluation activities, helping us shape our services and promote continuous improvement.
Looking ahead, we are excited about future publications and professional presentations that will showcase our findings within the Chinese context. We hope these efforts will facilitate meaningful interactions and exchanges with colleagues and communities across the globe.
As we continue our mission to support families affected by disabilities, we would like to share some uplifting messages derived from the research on family quality of life (Note 6).
- Embracing Hope: The journey of raising a child with disabilities can undoubtedly bring additional challenges and stress. However, it is crucial to remember that this does not have to diminish the overall quality of life for the family. This message is especially vital for parents who have recently received a diagnosis for their child, as feelings of uncertainty about the future can be overwhelming. Just as the dedicated staff at Angel Heart Family is committed to providing support, we encourage you to share messages of hope and encouragement with families affected by disability.
- Nurturing Healthy Social Relationships: Research underscores the importance of social connections, highlighting a significant correlation between strong relationships and improved family quality of life. The adage, "Don’t do this journey alone," encapsulates the essence of social support. By coming together, families can find the strength to navigate life’s various stages. Our regional offices across Taiwan facilitate opportunities to participate in diverse hobbies and support groups. These resources are designed to help parents discover joy beyond their caregiving roles, enriching their lives and fostering community ties.
Thank you for your unwavering support as we strive to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the families and communities we serve. We look forward to bringing you more exciting updates next time!
註 Notes：
- 賴念華、李御儂、羅子琦、蕭雅雯（2020）。臺灣身心障礙者母親在不同時間點之困境與服務需求初探。特殊教育研究學刊，45(1)，1–32。https://doi.org/10.6172/BSE.202003_45(1).0001 [Lai, N.-H., Lee, Y.-N., Lo, T.-C., & Hsiao, Y.-W. (2020). Challenges, needs, and service expectations of mothers of children with disabilities. Bulletin of Special Education, 45(1), 1–32.]
點這裡下載文章 Click here to download the article
- 賴念華、魏大紘、胡心慈、邱春瑜、李謹妏（2025）。障礙者之父母在在障礙者不同生命階段所感知到的親職壓力與支持程度—以生態系統的觀點。特殊教育研究學刊，50(2)，1–44。https://doi.org/10.6172/BSE.202507_50(2).0001 [Lai, N.-H., Wei, T.-H., Hu, S.-T., Chiu, C.-Y., & Lee, C.-W. (2025). An ecological systems approach to understanding parental stress and perceived support across lifespan in special needs families. Bulletin of Special Education, 50(2), 1–44.]
點這裡下載文章 Click here to download the article - 賴念華、鄭乃銘、李謹妏（2025）。特殊需求家庭非障礙手足在不同生命發展階段之需求與服務期待調查研究。特殊教育研究學刊，50(2)，45–90。https://doi.org/10.6172/BSE.202507_50(2).0002 [Lai, N.-H., Cheng, N.-M., & Lee, C.-W. (2025a). Support needs and expectations of siblings of people with disabilities across developmental stages. Bulletin of Special Education, 50(2), 45–90.]
點這裡下載文章 Click here to download the article
- 財團法人天使心家族社會福利基金會（2024）。愛奇兒之父母與手足心理健康倡議書。https://ah-h.org/news/news_detail/1392 [Angel Heart Family Social Welfare Foundation. (2024). Advocacy statement on mental health of parents and siblings of individuals with special needs. https://www.ah-h.org/news/news_detail/1392]
- 2025兒童發展與家庭研究國際學術研討會：口頭發表摘要請見會議手冊第79頁。[Lee, C.-W., & Lin, C.-C. (2025, September 26). Evaluating the effects of a locally grown respite program on family dynamics in families with special needs children [Conference presentation abstract]. Fifth annual convention of the Department of Child and Family Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.]
點這裡了解研討會內容 Click here to know more about the conference
- Boehm, T. L., & Carter, E. W. (2019). Family quality of life and its correlates among parents of children and adults with intellectual disability. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 124(2), 99–115. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-124.2.99