Current Status of Independence Support Policies for Children in Care in Japan: Recent Changes and Issues

Abstract

I review the current state of Japan’s independence support policies for children in out-of-home care and consider their implications for Korea. Japan’s child protection system, once centered on facility-based residential care, has become more comprehensive in recent years, following changes in independent-living support policies and supplemented by enhanced family-based care. Through the 2016 amendment to the Child Welfare Act, independence support services, which had previously been delivered in a fragmented manner, were incorporated into an integrated system. The 2022 amendment eased age restrictions and introduced the support-hub project, making it possible to support young people transitioning out of out-of-home care more effectively and for a longer duration. One key implication of Japan’s system is that Korea should seek further integration of its independent-living support system and enhance the public aspects, such as administration and oversight.