Japan’s Welfare Ministry Introduces Guidelines to Limit Group Homes from April 2027

From The Fukushi Shimbun

July 22 2025

TOKYO – Guidelines on the designation of disability welfare service providers, prepared by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Children and Families Agency on June 30, explicitly state that group homes (GHs) will be added to the scope of service volume controls (sōryō kisei) beginning in April 2027.

Service volume controls allow local governments to refuse to designate new service providers when they determine that the amount of available services already exceeds local demand. In addition to the current categories covered—including residential support facilities for people with disabilities, Type A and Type B continuous employment support services, and after-school day services—the proposal to include group homes was approved by the Social Security Council’s Subcommittee on Persons with Disabilities on June 5. During the meeting, however, concerns were raised that even in areas with a sufficient number of group homes, people with severe disabilities may still be unable to gain admission.

For this reason, the guidelines state that it is desirable to make exceptions for group homes serving people with intensive behavioural support needs or those requiring medical care. They also recommend that, when service volume controls are lifted, local governments recruit providers through a public application process.

According to a survey published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in July 2025, only around 10% of local governments were implementing service volume controls. The guidelines therefore include examples of municipalities that have made use of the system.

The guidelines also explain the general procedures, key points for effective use, and case studies relating to the request system introduced in April 2024, under which municipalities can submit opinions to prefectural governments regarding the designation of disability welfare service providers.