Latest news with #ChildrenAndFamiliesAgency
Japan Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Japan expands scope of background checks amid child safety concerns
Amid heightened concerns over child safety, the government is expanding the scope of its planned background check system designed to protect children from sexual offenders. A new system, commonly referred to as the 'Japanese version of the U.K.'s Disclosure and Barring Service,' is set to go into effect in December 2026. It aims to ensure a safe learning environment for minors by facilitating background checks on individuals seeking work that involves interacting with children. The expanded guidelines will apply not only to schools and kindergartens, but also to community spaces such as children's cafeterias and talent agencies. The move comes as scrutiny grows over how institutions handle allegations of abuse, particularly in the entertainment industry and informal education settings. At a meeting on Monday, the Children and Families Agency presented a draft outlining the new guidelines, revealing that community-based organizations, such as children's cafeterias, talent agencies, cram schools, and sports clubs will be subjected to the checks under certain conditions, in addition to schools and licensed child care facilities. The draft also subjects secret filming, which would violate local ordinance, to the new system, the agency said. Last week, two teachers were accused of secretly taking indecent pictures of young schoolgirls and sharing them in a 10-member group chat. 'If it is true, they exploited their positions as teachers to collectively disregard the rights of children, which we recognize as something absolutely unforgivable,' Tomoko Fujiwara, the head of child development bureau at the Children and Families Agency, said during Monday's meeting. Under the expanded system, background checks will be mandatory for professions including teaching, child care, licensed day care, and child welfare. Relevant institutions must verify prospective employees do not have a history of sexual offense by making an inquiry with the children's agency, which will check with the Justice Ministry for criminal records. If an applicant falsely claims to have no criminal record and is later found to have one, employers will be permitted to revoke their offer on the grounds of "serious misrepresentation." Unlisted organizations that offer children-related services for a six-month period or longer may also volunteer to conduct background checks in return for an official government safety certification mark. To qualify, entities must meet four conditions: Provide education to children Hold in-person sessions Operate in a location other than the child's home Employ at least three staff members or instructors Solo operators such as freelance tutors or babysitters are excluded from the background checks. However, the system will bring them under regulation indirectly by certifying the platforms they use to connect to clients. In those cases, it will be the platform's responsibility to ensure background checks are conducted. In the expanded guidelines, the child agency recommends that bus drivers and volunteers who regularly interact with children be screened, but the final determination is left to the employer. The agency plans to finalize the guidelines by the end of the year based on discussions with relevant stakeholders. Although certification for nonmandatory institutions will be optional, the government is encouraging wide adoption as part of a broader push to create safer environments for children across public and private sectors.
Japan Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Japan holds first preparatory panel meeting on sex crime background checks
The Children and Families Agency on Thursday held the first meeting of a preparatory committee for introducing a system to check whether people holding or seeking jobs that involve contact with children have records of sex crimes. At the meeting, senior officials from relevant government ministries and agencies confirmed that they will include funds and personnel needed to implement the system, referred to as the Japanese version of Britain's Disclosure and Barring Service, in their respective organizations' budget requests for fiscal 2026, which starts in April next year. Junko Mihara, minister for children-related policies, said at the start of the meeting that sex crimes against children are "outrageous and unforgivable," adding that "the government will work as one to advance efforts" to tackle such crimes. Her remarks came in light of a recently revealed incident in Japan in which secretly taken images and videos of female students' underwear were being shared among teachers. The law on preventing sexual offenses against children, which includes the new system, is set to take effect on Dec. 25, 2026. The preparatory committee adopted a basic policy which clarifies that relevant government bodies will cooperate to notify citizens and industries related to children about the law and the system. Ministries and agencies are expected to share their progress on preparations at the next committee meeting, slated for this autumn.
Japan Times
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Government to seek students' opinions for sexual abuse prevention
The Children and Families Agency will hold an in-person session next month to hear the opinions of junior high and high school students on a planned system for checking whether teachers have sexual crime records. Over the so-called Japanese version of Britain's Disclosure and Barring Service, the government set up a panel of experts in April to discuss its details, and plans to draw up related ordinances and guidelines later this year and implement them on Dec. 25, 2026. Around 12 students will be selected by lottery from volunteers to participate in the upcoming hearing session at the agency. Their opinions will be used to develop manuals and training materials for school teachers and others. The agency will also seek their ideas about the design of a mark for certified private operators, such as private tutoring schools and sports clubs, under the new system. The design is expected to be finalized within this year or later.
Japan Times
09-06-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Japan to study ways to help more pregnant women in danger
The Children and Families Agency will examine ways to help more pregnant women under difficult conditions, such as abuse and poverty, benefit from its program to provide them with a safe childbirth environment. The program was launched in fiscal 2024 to prevent life-threatening situations for struggling women and their babies. As of January this year, 23 prefectural and municipal governments had taken part and offered temporary housing, meals, medical services and other necessary assistance through individual consultations. Assistance seekers include youngsters who ran away from home due to bad relations with their parents, or other guardians, and those fleeing their partners' violence, agency officials said. Still, some women who unexpectedly got pregnant have been taken to hospitals in critical conditions, had their children die shortly after delivery, or killed their newborn babies and themselves. In a move to further prevent childbirths with a high possibility of negative outcomes, the agency will conduct a survey from next month to around the end of the current fiscal year through March 2026. It will first learn the roles that infant homes and support facilities are actually playing in the program and then, upon their consent, hear directly from women who eventually became eligible for the public support. The survey results will provide the basis for subsequent discussions on how to improve the knowledge of relevant local government officials and medical professionals about the program so they can recommend appropriate assistance measures for expectant mothers in trouble. "I think we can help more pregnant women on the edge of a precipice if we learn their life experiences and explain the process of how some such women became able to receive assistance," an agency official in charge of the program said. The agency also aims to improve the program and bring more local governments on board.
