People with intellectual disabilities in Japan unable to raise their children, sent to infant home without support system

From The Tokyo Shimbun via Kyodo

October 1 2023

KANAGAWA – 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 had no choice but to place him in 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 she works for a company in the prefecture. Due to her irregular periods, she was over 22 weeks old when she realized she was pregnant, 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.

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

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