ID :
212299
Wed, 10/12/2011 - 07:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/212299
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Tohoku Univ. to Give 10-Year Aid to Disaster Orphans
Sendai, Miyagi Pref (Jiji Press) - Tohoku University has established a center to provide psychotherapeutic assistance to children orphaned in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Each such child will see the same psychotherapist at the center over a period of 10 years, so problems that arise as the child ages, such as rebelliousness, and stress attributed to the loss of parents, can be dealt with effectively, informed sources told Jiji Press.
The center will provide individual counseling to guardians of orphans and training to teachers. It will also work in cooperation with child counseling centers and guardian groups.
As of Sept. 30, there were 123 children orphaned by the disaster in Miyagi Prefecture and 93 in Iwate Prefecture, according to the governments of the two prefectures, which were hit hard by the March 11 catastrophe. Of them, 214 have come under the protective custody of relatives, while the remaining two, both in Miyagi, entered child welfare facilities.
In an effort to prevent orphans and their guardians from being isolated, psychotherapists and other staffers at the Tohoku University support center will take part in exchange events for people who have gained custody of orphans. They will also conduct home visits to share concerns.
Experts underscore the need to mitigate the psychological and economic burden of guardians who care for their own children as well as orphans, and those who live in temporary housing after being displaced by the disaster.
Guardians that are related by blood to orphans may find it difficult to reveal their true feelings, including concerns, so the center faces the challenge of creating an environment in which they feel free to approach experts, the sources said.
The center, which has its secretariat in the Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture-based university's Graduate School of Education, is being operated with 120 million yen in private-sector donations. Its records will be used in research at the school and in educating students, according to the sources.
Each such child will see the same psychotherapist at the center over a period of 10 years, so problems that arise as the child ages, such as rebelliousness, and stress attributed to the loss of parents, can be dealt with effectively, informed sources told Jiji Press.
The center will provide individual counseling to guardians of orphans and training to teachers. It will also work in cooperation with child counseling centers and guardian groups.
As of Sept. 30, there were 123 children orphaned by the disaster in Miyagi Prefecture and 93 in Iwate Prefecture, according to the governments of the two prefectures, which were hit hard by the March 11 catastrophe. Of them, 214 have come under the protective custody of relatives, while the remaining two, both in Miyagi, entered child welfare facilities.
In an effort to prevent orphans and their guardians from being isolated, psychotherapists and other staffers at the Tohoku University support center will take part in exchange events for people who have gained custody of orphans. They will also conduct home visits to share concerns.
Experts underscore the need to mitigate the psychological and economic burden of guardians who care for their own children as well as orphans, and those who live in temporary housing after being displaced by the disaster.
Guardians that are related by blood to orphans may find it difficult to reveal their true feelings, including concerns, so the center faces the challenge of creating an environment in which they feel free to approach experts, the sources said.
The center, which has its secretariat in the Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture-based university's Graduate School of Education, is being operated with 120 million yen in private-sector donations. Its records will be used in research at the school and in educating students, according to the sources.
