The government will study ways to help families who are isolated in their community and whose children are not attending day care or kindergarten, it has been learned.

Children 5 years old and under who aren’t enrolled in pre-schools can sometimes be targets of neglect and abuse by parents, particularly if they are isolated in their community and have no one else to communicate with, experts say.

An agency that specializes in policies for children and families, to be set up in April next year, will extend assistance to such families, after studying innovative measures being taken by some municipalities and private-sector groups around the nation, according to government sources. Potential measures include visiting the homes of families in need and listening to their concerns.