When parenting fatigue, illness or work obligations leave parents temporarily unable to look after their children, a government program known as ¡°child short-stay¡± offers a lifeline, under which children are cared for by institutions or foster families for several days at a time.
Municipalities across Japan are starting to adopt such programs in conjuction?with foster families to allow children to spend time in home-like settings. In the city of Fukuoka, which has been a pioneer in the initiative, efforts are continuing to recruit more foster families.
In mid-February, nonprofit organization SOS Children¡¯s Villages Japan held a monthly briefing session at a community center in Fukuoka for those interested in becoming a foster parent. Three women attended the session that month.
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