Child Abuse
"Keeping children safe" (Child Abuse Protection Japan)
"Even though the central government has substantially increased its child protection budget for the current fiscal year and created new projects, many local governments have failed to take the cue.
For example, the central government subsidizes 50 percent of local government spending on services for parents who need experts calling them at home to offer guidance. The subsidy is enough to cover these services in about 1,000 municipalities and villages, but only 120 have applied for it. At this rate, the budget is going to remain unused. Against this backdrop, the National Governors' Association and five other local entities have proposed, as part of national and local tax and fiscal reform plans, that central government subsidies be abolished for services that concern child abuse.
The subsidies in question are worth about 70 billion yen, including the costs of running foster care homes for abused children. For some 30,000 youngsters who are now living at about 550 such institutions around the nation, ending those subsidies would be tantamount to depriving them of even a minimum standard of a safe existence.
In theory, it is correct to abolish subsidies and transfer equivalent tax revenue sources to local governments. The reality, however, is that some local governments are simply not doing enough to protect children from abuse even though subsidies and tax allocations are available. Given this fact, we cannot expect such governments to suddenly become committed to the cause just because of new tax revenue sources.
Child abuse became a social issue in this country about 10 years ago. It was not punishable by law until 2000. Japan lags 20 years or so behind Europe and America in this regard. If local governments really intend to decline central government subsidies, they must first hire all the experts they need and start committing themselves in earnest to combating child abuse."
The Asahi Shimbun, Octtober 6, 2004
"Even though the central government has substantially increased its child protection budget for the current fiscal year and created new projects, many local governments have failed to take the cue.
For example, the central government subsidizes 50 percent of local government spending on services for parents who need experts calling them at home to offer guidance. The subsidy is enough to cover these services in about 1,000 municipalities and villages, but only 120 have applied for it. At this rate, the budget is going to remain unused. Against this backdrop, the National Governors' Association and five other local entities have proposed, as part of national and local tax and fiscal reform plans, that central government subsidies be abolished for services that concern child abuse.
The subsidies in question are worth about 70 billion yen, including the costs of running foster care homes for abused children. For some 30,000 youngsters who are now living at about 550 such institutions around the nation, ending those subsidies would be tantamount to depriving them of even a minimum standard of a safe existence.
In theory, it is correct to abolish subsidies and transfer equivalent tax revenue sources to local governments. The reality, however, is that some local governments are simply not doing enough to protect children from abuse even though subsidies and tax allocations are available. Given this fact, we cannot expect such governments to suddenly become committed to the cause just because of new tax revenue sources.
Child abuse became a social issue in this country about 10 years ago. It was not punishable by law until 2000. Japan lags 20 years or so behind Europe and America in this regard. If local governments really intend to decline central government subsidies, they must first hire all the experts they need and start committing themselves in earnest to combating child abuse."
The Asahi Shimbun, Octtober 6, 2004
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