The Children’s Institutional Care Recipient Certificate in Japan

The Nyuusho Jukyuusha Shou / 入所受給者証

Most families of children with disabilities want their child to live at home. But for some families, there comes a point where residential care becomes necessary. Your child’s medical or care needs may require around-the-clock professional support that cannot be provided at home, or the family situation may have changed in a way that makes home care impossible.

Japan has residential facilities specifically for children with disabilities called disability child residential facilities (shougaiji nyuusho shisetsu / 障害児入所施設). To use these facilities, your child needs a children’s institutional care recipient certificate (nyuusho jukyuusha shou / 入所受給者証). Unlike most other disability recipient certificates, this one is not applied for at your municipal welfare desk. It goes through the children’s consultation center (jidou soudan sho / 児童相談所).

The Two Types of Facilities

Welfare type (fukushi gata shougaiji nyuusho shisetsu / 福祉型障害児入所施設): Provides residential care, daily living support, education assistance, and skills training. For children with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities whose primary needs are around daily living and skill development.

Medical type (iryou gata shougaiji nyuusho shisetsu / 医療型障害児入所施設): Provides everything the welfare type does, plus ongoing medical treatment. These facilities are classified as hospitals and have medical staff on site. For children with severe physical disabilities, severe combined physical and intellectual disabilities (juushou shinshin shougai / 重症心身障害), or children requiring continuous medical care such as ventilator management or tube feeding.

When approved, the welfare type issues a recipient certificate (nyuusho jukyuusha shou / 入所受給者証). The medical type issues both a recipient certificate and a disability child facility medical care recipient certificate (shougaiji shisetsu iryou jukyuusha shou / 障害児施設医療受給者証).

Who Is Eligible

These facilities are for children under 18 with physical, intellectual, mental, or developmental disabilities. A disability handbook (shougaisha techou / 障害者手帳, also called a disability certificate) is not required. Eligibility is determined by the children’s consultation center based on the child’s actual needs.

If a child is already in a facility at age 18, their stay can be extended. The facility and the children’s consultation center will work with your family to plan the transition to adult services.

How to Apply

Contact the children’s consultation center (jidou soudan sho / 児童相談所) in your area. This is a different office from the disability welfare desk (shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課) at your municipal office. You can find your nearest center through the MHLW directory linked in the Useful Resources section below.

The consultation center will assess your child’s needs and your family’s situation, explain available facilities, and help you identify ones that match your child’s needs. If residential care is determined to be appropriate, you submit a formal application through the consultation center. Processing takes approximately one and a half to two months. If approved, you receive the recipient certificate and can sign a contract with the facility.

Cost

The copay is income-based, using the same framework as other disability welfare services for children. In addition, you will pay for meals, daily necessities, and utility costs. Check with the children’s consultation center for current copay caps, or see our article on disability certificate benefits.

What Happens at Age 18

When your child turns 18, they age out of the child welfare system. Options include transitioning to an adult group home (guruupu hoomu / グループホーム), a disability support facility (shougaisha shien shisetsu / 障害者支援施設), or returning home with community support. For children in medical type facilities with severe combined disabilities, medical long-term care (ryouyou kaigo / 療養介護) may be the next step.

Start transition planning years before your child turns 18. See our article on group homes in Japan and our article on the transition to adulthood.

Practical Tips

If residential care feels too big a step, explore short-stay respite care (tanki nyuusho / 短期入所) first. This gives your child a chance to experience overnight care at a facility. See our article on respite care and home help.

Contact the children’s consultation center (jidou soudan sho / 児童相談所) first, not the municipal welfare desk. This is a separate system.

Visit multiple facilities before deciding. Ask about daily routines, staffing, how they handle communication with families, visiting policies, and the transition plan for age 18.

Key Terms

English	Japanese
Disability child residential facility	shougaiji nyuusho shisetsu / 障害児入所施設
Welfare type facility	fukushi gata shougaiji nyuusho shisetsu / 福祉型障害児入所施設
Medical type facility	iryou gata shougaiji nyuusho shisetsu / 医療型障害児入所施設
Children’s institutional care recipient certificate	nyuusho jukyuusha shou / 入所受給者証
Disability child facility medical care recipient certificate	shougaiji shisetsu iryou jukyuusha shou / 障害児施設医療受給者証
Children’s consultation center	jidou soudan sho / 児童相談所