Parliament has passed an amended law that stipulates government support for young people who provide daily care for family members.
The revised law to promote support for child education and youth development was approved by a majority vote of the ruling bloc at a plenary meeting of the House of Councilors, the upper parliamentary chamber, on Wednesday.
There have been cases where young caregivers had problems with school studies and relationships with friends due to their demanding responsibilities and burdens.
But the old law did not provide for a clause requiring central government support for such youth, while some local governments provided them with support under their own ordinances.
The legislation has been amended to make it clear that both central and local authorities will make efforts to support young carers, in addition to children and young people experiencing difficulties in their social lives, such as hikikomori inclusions.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Welfare in the 2021 budget year, 6.5% of sixth-grade primary school children and 6.2% of third-year university students said they were taking care of relatives.
