Japan’s newly created Children and Families Agency began its full-scale operations on Monday, in a bid to eliminate the vertically segmented administration of child-related policies previously overseen by multiple government agencies.
The new administrative body, established with about 400 personnel, is designed to serve as a control tower for a wide range of policies, such as supporting child-rearing, alleviating child poverty, helping to prevent child abuse and tackling the falling birthrate.
At an inaugural ceremony held at its Tokyo office on Monday, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said that his government aims to create a society centered on children, always considering what is best for them.
The most important thing is to listen to the voices of children and reflect them in implementing policies, he added.
The agency, created as an external organ of the Cabinet Office, is under the direct supervision of the prime minister.
