Eastern Japanese city creates first government-run helpdesk for young caregivers

TOKYO – To support young caregivers required to care for and care for their family members, starting in fiscal 2022, the municipal government of Takasaki city in eastern Japan will launch an initiative in sending free aid to households with young helpers who are in college or high school.

The program is expected to reduce the burden of family care on students. Its creation was announced in August and preparations are continuing. The government of Takasaki City in Gunma Prefecture says the support initiative is the first of its kind by a municipal authority in Japan.

Middle and high school students eligible for the scheme are approved by a support promotion committee, which also examines the nature of the care provided. The committee was formed by city government departments, including social services and education departments, and they will share information, including reports on young caregivers from schools and other places, who can then be taken into account in the approvals.

The city government intends to include about 100 million yen (about $ 878,000) in the funds needed for the program in the next year’s budget proposal. He plans to send two helpers to the home of young carers in need of help, and that they spend two hours a day at most twice a week in the same home. There, they helped with household chores such as cleaning and washing clothes, as well as looking after siblings, breastfeeding the family and other chores.

Schools will serve as the consultation point for the program, and apart from students and their tutors, their tenured professors and others may also come forward to request service for students. The city government education council said: “As far as primary school students are concerned, we want to offer a flexible response where if the people involved or the school come to us for a consultation, we can allow them to accept support. ”

According to the education council, when he went to ask schools about young caregivers, he found that many already knew young carers among their students. As a result, he would have decided to start the support quickly.

(Japanese original by Nao Yamada, Digital News Center)