The government should revise its policy on abused children and place more emphasis on securing homelike environments in which they can receive individual care, including smaller group homes, a panel of experts advising the health ministry recommended Monday.
The panel, headed by Meiji Gakuin University professor Yasuo Matsubara, said the government needs to rethink its current policy of having children who have experienced abuse live in large groups.
The panel also called for a structural realignment of care facilities, including nurseries and centers for preschoolers, to ensure attention is provided to abused children on a continual basis.