Japan aims to increase adoption of abused children

August 1, 2017

TOKYO- A Japanese welfare ministry advisory panel gave broad approval on Monday to a proposal for raising the proportion of children adopted by foster parents to 75 percent or more of all infants unable to live with their biological parents, including victims of child abuse. The figure was below 20 percent at the end of fiscal 2015. The proposal seeks to achieve the 75 percent target within five years for children under three years old and within seven years for older preschoolers. For those already attending school, the proposal calls for the share in care by foster parents to be raised to 50 percent of the total or more, within around 10 years. The proposal also seeks to increase the number of children legally adopted to foster parents by entry on their family registers at 1,000 or more per year, more than double the current level. To promote such household-oriented social support, the entry of preschool children to institutions such as orphanages will be basically halted. The government is set to consider new measures to support foster parents, including enhancing training programs for staff at child consultation centers. It also plans to ask prefectural governments to draw up plans to promote such social support. Jiji Press