Some children are said to be forced to prioritize caring for their family members, interfering with their school lives. The actual situation must be ascertained to provide appropriate support.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to conduct a nationwide survey of high schools and other such educational institutions to find out the current situation of children who are responsible for taking care of their families on a daily basis. It will compile the results by the end of this fiscal year.
It is valuable to society and to children's development that children play a role at home, including caregiving. It can also be a precious opportunity for them to learn the importance of mutual support.
However, if the burden becomes too much, it can affect children's future. Notably, many such students tend to miss school because they are exhausted from having to care for grandparents or parents with dementia, or from caring for young siblings. Some are said to have even given up on advancing to higher education.
One of the reasons for this is that the number of families with both parents working is increasing while the population continues to age, so adults alone are no longer able to adequately care for family members. When a parent falls ill in a single-parent household, the burden on the child is even heavier.
Faced with a similar issue, Britain has legally defined children under 18 who are caring for their family members as "young carers" and has surveyed such children to extend support.
But in Japan, the number of such children and the nature of their care are not known in detail. The health ministry should work closely with the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry to identify issues as much as possible.
Surveys by some local governments and private organizations show that some children do not want to talk about their families, even if they are in troubling situations. In many cases, they do not know where to turn to for help and have been isolated.
For children who frequently forget to do their homework or fall asleep in class, the burden of caring for a family member may be a contributing factor. Teachers and school staff should consult with their students and, if necessary, consider working with welfare and other professionals to address the issue.
In addition to schools, it is important that adults involved in the caregiving, medical and welfare fields pay attention to children's environment.
Saitama Prefecture established the nation's first ordinance to support carers in March. With the basic principle of ensuring "appropriate educational opportunities" especially for children under the age of 18, the prefecture will compile specific support measures.
With the advance of aging society in mind, it is highly important to develop measures that focus on reducing the burden not only on those who receive care, but also on those who care for them.
An environment must be created in which society as a whole can reach out to children in need of support.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Oct. 25, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
