In an attempt to lift the financial burdens placed on single-parent families, some local municipalities in Japan have set up programs to advance child support payments to such households, a move yet to arrive at the national level.

The city of Saitama said in early April that it will make advance child support payments to the affected parent for up to three months — with a monthly limit of ¥50,000 ($321) per child — in cases of nonpayment from an ex-spouse, and then pursue reimbursement from the former spouse who is obligated to make those payments.

To qualify for the advance payment, one has to be a single parent living in the city of Saitama and meet several criteria, including currently receiving a child-rearing allowance from the government or be of an income level to receive such an allowance, possessing a legal claim to child support, currently supporting the child for whom the support is intended, has not received child support for the previous month and has not applied for this program before.