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Challenges of Childcare Support for Women with Intellectual Disabilities in Japan

A woman hugging a boy (provided by the person)

It was learned on the 1st that a 31-year-old woman with mild intellectual disability living in a group home (GH) in Kanagawa Prefecture gave birth to a boy and wanted to raise him, but was forced to leave him at an infant home. They were not accepted at GH, and it was difficult to receive sufficient childcare support outside of GH.

Last year, it was discovered that residents at a GH in Esashi Town, Hokkaido, were undergoing sterilization procedures regarding childbirth and childcare for people with intellectual disabilities. In response to this, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare notified local governments to make maximum use of disability welfare and childcare-related measures to support childcare for people with disabilities, but it has once again become clear that hope is still in limbo. .

The woman lives in a GH run by a social welfare corporation in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and works for a company in the prefecture. She also had irregular periods, and by the time she found out she was pregnant, she was over 22 weeks old, so abortion was not an option for her. She received support from the government and others, and she gave birth to a son in April of this year.

She broke up with her boyfriend and wanted to raise her child as a single mother. According to the woman, she consulted the GH, but she was turned down, saying, “The boy’s crying may have a negative impact on other residents with mental disorders.”


2023-10-01 12:00:00
#Children #intellectual #disabilities #unable #raise #children #infant #home #support #Tokyo #Shimbun #TOKYO #Web

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