Called the "Village of Foster Children" Before World War II in Japan

This study analyzed the factors that successfully activated the child-raising by foster parents, with focusing on Eda village in Kanagawa prefecture where fostering children not for the purpose of the securement of heirs nor... [ view full abstract ]

This study analyzed the factors that successfully activated the child-raising by foster parents, with focusing on Eda village in Kanagawa prefecture where fostering children not for the purpose of the securement of heirs nor labor forces was frequently observed. Then, clues to the promotion of and assistance to foster care system will be pursued with the idea of learning from foster care examples that can be regarded as successful at the time when the foster care system had not yet been organized. Records relating to the procedures and conditions of  foster care, considerations, the actual situations of foster care from the records on Eda village with the intensive reading of materials regarding the foster care cases of Fukuden-Kai Infant home from Meiji Era to before World War Ⅱ.  Interviews were conducted with Mr. and Mrs. N who were foster parents and had contact with people concerning the foster care cases of Yokoyama Hospital in Eda village. This research revealed the following factors 1) there was a key person involved who was capable of earning the trust of society 2) there was a place where people could come to get advice on concerns over their foster children, including illness, foster parents were able to raise their foster children without any concern  3) the foster parents were approved in a process free of any special scrutiny 4) the foster parents were able to create emotional bonds with their foster children. 5) They are proud that they bring up a child as a foster parent

Key words:foster children,foster parents,before World War II,Japan