The Children and Families Agency has clarified that those under the age of 18 who run away from home due to abuse or family issues can use shelters for young people without parental consent. The clarification was compiled in draft guidelines for municipalities on operating such shelters.
The agency also said in the guidelines that local governments should set rules for living in shelters. The agency plans to adopt the guidelines by the end of March to encourage local governments that run shelters to operate them appropriately.
According to the draft guidelines, those under the age of 18 will be able to use shelters even if obtaining prior consent from those with parental authority is expected to be difficult. If children are involved in cases of suspected abuse, such facilities may decide to deny parents’ requests for the child to be returned to them and continue sheltering the child, based on discussions with child consultation centers.
The draft guidelines recommended setting rules on the use of communication devices such as mobile phones, on outings and overnight stays away from shelters, on keeping belongings and on dealing with problems inside and outside the facilities.
Shelters will provide places for young people to stay and offer consultations, as well as support for finding employment or education. On assistance after children leave shelters, the draft guidelines included examples such as sending them supplies on a regular basis, visiting them for meetings and creating communities of former users by contacting them on social media and hosting dinner parties.
Runaway youths have recently been gathering in areas such as the Toyoko area of the Kabukicho entertainment district in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, where they often get into trouble. The government is seeking to deal with the issue by providing subsidies to local governments that set up shelters.