The government's fiscal 2016 measures to help children and their families in poverty include beefing up child allowance for single-parent households and financial support for parents attending vocational schools for skilled jobs. These are only a small step toward eliminating the growing woes of children suffering from poverty in this country. The government is urged to take further steps to achieve the wide-ranging goals set under the law enacted in 2013 to combat this problem.
Currently, a monthly allowance of ¥42,000 is provided to a family made up of a single parent and one child. The household will receive ¥5,000 more for a second child and an additional ¥3,000 for each subsequent child. Beginning in August, the increment will reach as high as ¥10,000 for a second child and up to ¥6,000 each for the third and any additional children. The increase will be reduced if the parent's income exceeds a certain level.
Nursery school and kindergarten fees paid by low-income households will also be reduced. Currently, the nursery school fee for the second child in a single-parent household is half the regular rate, and the third and any additional children go for free if the first child is of preschool age. But if the first child is in elementary school, the fee for the second child goes up to the regular rate, and that for the third and any additional children is at half the regular fee.