Regarding children who are busy caring for their families, so-called "young carers," the national project team has summarized in a draft report that it will strengthen the system for early detection and support in schools and communities. I understand.
Children who care for and care for their parents, grandparents, and siblings at home are called "young carers." According to a national survey, about 1 in 17 second-year junior high school students and second-year high school students on a full-time basis. Approximately 1 in 24 respondents say they have a family to take care of.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology jointly set up a project team in March to compile a draft report that includes support measures.
According to this, in order to detect young carers at an early stage and connect them to support, not only the staff of the board of education but also the local and private sectors such as social workers and care managers of medical institutions, children's committees, and staff of children's cafeterias are targeted. We will carry out the training.
In addition, in order to strengthen the consultation system, we will consider a business where people who have cared for their families as a child can consult face-to-face or via SNS, and support for local governments that place social workers and counselors in schools. ..
In addition, some welfare institutions have pointed out that young carers are regarded as having the same "long-term care ability" as adults, and local governments and related organizations are asked to use home-based services without assuming care by children. It is said that it will be well known that it will be thoroughly considered.
The project team will prepare a report at the meeting on the afternoon of the 17th and then start to create a concrete system.
The actual situation of support seen in the United Kingdom, a developed country of young carers
Regarding support for young carers, the United Kingdom has been attracting attention as a global “advanced area”, and surveys and countermeasures have been carried out since around 1990.
The word young carer is also said to have originated in England.
According to Professor Saul Becker of the University of Cambridge, a leading researcher in young carer research, the existence of young carers became publicly known in the United Kingdom in the first half of 1990, and in 1996, the British government conducted a fact-finding survey for the first time. It means that it was done.
Then, in 2014, the "Children and Family Law" was enacted, clearly defining young carers as "people under the age of 18 who are or are trying to provide care for others." In addition, we have required local governments to conduct assessments to assess the specific support needed by young carers.
In addition, specific support for young carers in need is provided by charity organizations that receive subsidies from local governments, and it is said that there are at least 300 such organizations in the United Kingdom.
Of these, a support group in Sheffield, central England, provides a weekly meeting place for young carers to share their worries and anxieties about family care, as well as regular consultations and family visits. We are making efforts to connect to appropriate public services by visiting.
In addition, local schools, police, and medical institutions regularly meet to share information about children in order to find young carers in need, and in collaboration with schools, faculty members and social workers. We are conducting training to identify children's abnormalities, and every year we are connecting 200 new young carers to support.
Sarah Gowen, who is the representative of the support organization, said, "Since the number of children who become new young carers is increasing due to parents suddenly needing care, we are trying to find young carers who are not connected to support. We have to continue. The problem is that the burden and responsibility on the child becomes too great, and if we do not lead to support quickly, it may have a negative impact on the future. "
"Young carers may not be burdened with the burden, and there is a need for both efforts to reduce the physical burden of long-term care and support for mental care," said Gowen. He points out that support is needed according to the situation.
A support system that suits the actual situation in Japan
Professor Saul Becker of the University of Cambridge, in an academic paper published in 1993, clarified that young carers are in need of support for the first time in the world, and has made policy proposals for the support of each country so far. He is a leading researcher in Young Carer research.
Professor Becker pointed out that "young carers exist in every country," and while support is moving in Australia and Scandinavia, there are still only a few countries that have support systems. Was shown.
Professor Becker said to Japan, which began to seek support for young carers, "We conducted multiple fact-finding surveys to find out what kind of situation Japanese young carers are in and how they affect their development and education. It is the first decision to grasp it, "he said, and pointed out that it is necessary to set up a place for related organizations such as the government and private organizations to gather and to consider a support system that suits the actual situation in Japan.
"While people tend to focus on the negative aspects of young carers, research shows that they also have the positive aspects of having good skills," he said. He points out that it is also important to change people's consciousness.