Why does Japan still use orphanage-style care rather than foster care and adoption?

Name: Why does Japan still use orphanage-style care rather than foster care and adoption?
Start: 2026-02-11T17:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-02-11T19:00:00+00:00
Location: SOAS University of London

Schedule

Wed Feb 11 2026 at 05:00 pm to 07:00 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

SOAS University of London | London, EN

Venue: Djam Lecture Theatre (DLT), Main Building, SOAS University of London
Speaker: Dr Michael Rivera King (The Japan Society)
Registration: https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/why-does-japan-still-use-orphanage-style-care-rather-foster-care-and-adoption
In this talk, Dr Michael Rivera King will focus on why Japan still uses ‘orphanage-style’ care instead of foster care and adoption for children who are unable to live with their birth parents.
This includes the use of ‘baby institutions’ for 0-2 year olds, the largest of which sees 89 babies housed in one building run by the Red Cross, and ‘child welfare institutions’, the largest of which houses 159 2-18 year olds in Osaka. Michael’s research centred on ethnographic research with social workers who make the decision to remove children from their parents and place them into care. Please note this talk will touch on abuse, neglect, and domestic violence.