Posted in: Hospital in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward announces plan for ‘baby hatch’ See in context
This is a good step in the right direction. Now Japanese laws need to change to allow prospective parents from outside of Japan the ability to adopt infants born in Japan. I have friends who have adopted children here and they must be residents of Japan with plans to remain in Japan, raising the child here. One friend, a single lady, had to move out of Tokyo proper into Saitama in order to be allowed to adopt her child. I work with kids in orphanages, teaching English through JOEE.jp. Most of these children will spend their entire young lives growing up in an institution. Most are not "adoptable" because of unfit parents who will not allow it, even though they cannot care for their children themselves. God bless @Roten and others who do adopt children here!
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Posted in: Therapy dogs taking anxiety out of legal system for abused kids See in context
Many dogs can sense when someone is hurting and they instinctively go to comfort them. This is a wonderful program and I hope that it continues. I work in care homes teaching English to children who have been abused through JOEE.jp. They, too, would benefit from having contact with a therapy dog.
What a wonderful thing it would be for these homes to have a well-trained dog to comfort the children 24/7. Dogs can teach empathy which is an important thing to learn from a young age. I hope that these comfort animal programs can get more funding as they are important to the emotional healing of young abuse victims.
We had a golden retriever who visited schools with me and was so gentle that he helped some young children get over their fear of dogs. He passed away several years ago, but I hope to one day have another gentle dog.
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Posted in: Trial of English-speaking test for Tokyo high schools face opposition from some parents See in context
English education needs to begin as early as possible. Brain research shows intensive language activity from 0 to 2 years of age. Japan should begin English language learning in preschool. My nonprofit, JOEE.jp, teaches free English lessons in orphanages or children's homes in Japan to children from 2 to 7 years of age. We use puppets, songs, and games to make learning feel like play. A child needs to feel safe and motivated before deep learning can take place. Here is a video example of one of our JOEE lessons: https://youtu.be/_FsqBkQmll4
Of course, with little kids, in-person lessons are always better. Interaction is a crucial component of language learning. I wish the Japanese educational system would quickly get educated in matters pertaining to language instruction. Japan's future depends on it.
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Posted in: Russian warplane crashes into Sea of Azov city, killing 4; suicide drones hit Kyiv See in context
Chilling report. Fewer Ukrainian children showed up last night for my JOEE English lesson with puppets and songs. This attack may be the reason. Last week, one of the Ukrainian moderators at Smart Osvita and her young daughter could not join because they had to shelter underground at the time of the lesson. My heart is heavy for the children under attack and living with terror in this part of the word. -- Ruth, Dir. of JOEE.jp
Here is the link to the Smart Osvita NPO website that offers free lessons to kids in Ukraine: https://smart-osvita.org They are always looking for teachers to donate their time.
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Posted in: 'Life after is more important': A child of Japan's baby hatch See in context
@mountainpear -- Thanks for your interest and support of JOEE.jp. My broken wrist is slowly healing up.... I can type again! It is a wonderful thing to read stories like that of Koichi Miyastu, who is thriving despite the challenges. Japan politicians worry about the falling birthrate but do not do enough to support the children that are already here. So much more could be done for children growing up without the support of a family.
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Posted in: 'Life after is more important': A child of Japan's baby hatch See in context
Dear Miyatsu-san,
You are a gift to the world! Thankfully, you have the clarity of vision to think "beyond the box" and see your true worth. How wonderful that you are already helping other children at your local church who need some extra support and care! Five years ago, I quit my job teaching privileged kids at international schools in Japan to create a non-profit, JOEE.jp, that brings lively, puppet-assisted native-level English lessons to children growing up in care homes. The goal is to give these children a boost in their education and joy in their lives as they interact with highly qualified volunteers. Please email me at ruth@joee.jp if you are able to connect us with orphanages near you. We are in the process of training a new batch of JOEE teachers right now. JOEE stands for "Joyful Opportunity English Education." You can find more information at our website, JOEE.jp. There's also a related YouTube channel with recorded English lessons and read-alouds -- Look up "Ruth Gilmore Ingulsrud" + YouTube online.
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Posted in: Mother arrested for leaving children at home alone for 10 hours while she played pachinko See in context
The neglectful mother was arrested and the children were probably placed into protective care along with about 40,000 other children in Japan who are being cared for by orphanages and children's homes. My heart goes out to these kids. 5 years ago, I started a nonprofit foundation, JOEE.jp, that teaches fun, native-level English classes to these neglected children in order to give them an educational boost... and a bit of sunshine. What they really need, of course, is a stable family with loving, responsible parents. Japan needs to improve its laws to allow more children to be adopted into families.
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Posted in: Record number of child abuse, domestic violence cases reported in 2021 See in context
Heartbreaking news. We see new kids admitted almost every month to the care homes where JOEE.jp works to bring active English lessons. These children need every possible advantage in Japan where the deck is stacked against them. Learning to speak English is one advantage that can help them land jobs when they exit the care system at age 18.
Inside the homes where I have volunteered, at least, I see committed caregivers who treat the children gently and with consistent care. Of course, the situation is less than ideal, but they do form a family and establish connections with trustworthy adults who love them.
Several of my friends have adopted kids and are foster parents. Most are from diverse backgrounds, so even though it may be difficult to adopt or become a foster parent, it is possible. Being able to speak Japanese, is still, I believe, a requirement. One friend, a single female, had to move outside of Tokyo proper into Saitama in order to adopt her Japanese daughter from an orphanage. This was many years ago. Perhaps the system has changed, but I know that it has many problems. Children need to be given more rights and more assistance when they lack a loving, dedicated family to support them.
@Cricky - I hope that you will be able to foster kids in the future. The world needs more people like you!
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Posted in: Mother arrested over attempted murder of 3-month-old son See in context
@P. Smith @zichi Thanks for your comments. Parents who do not receive enough support can become desperate. Parenting is stressful — especially these days. Orphanages (or children’s homes) in Japan, rescue these kids to protect them. My nonprofit (JOEE.jp) tries to help. (More information at the website.) Japan needs to find more ways to support these stressed parents so we can protect the children who suffer the consequences.
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Posted in: Mother arrested over attempted murder of 3-month-old son See in context
Just returning home from an orphanage where we brought presents to all 45 kids who live there (through JOEE.jp). Yes, it’s sad that these children aren’t with loving parents but care facilities do provide a safe, caring and nurturing place for them to grow up. I just wish that adoption and foster care was more available for these sweet kids here in Japan. Still… better to be in a safe place than in danger at the hands of a stressed out parent.
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Posted in: Specialty movers orchestrate successful 'fly by night' escapes from abusive spouses See in context
I work with children in orphanages (through JOEE.jp) who have been rescued from abusive situations. I am glad to see that this service exists. It could save the lives of people who need this quick exit from a dangerous domestic situation.
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Posted in: Suga willing to establish 'children's agency' See in context
They can start by changing laws to give more rights to the 40,000 children growing up in orphanages and institutionalized care here in Japan. Even when parents are unable to care for their own children, they can prevent their child from being adopted or even accepted into a foster care family. I teach English to these dear children every week through my nonprofit, JOEE(dot)jp. They deserve love, justice and a hopeful future. Japan worries about a declining birth rate? Take care of the children who are already here. Please!
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Posted in: Suga's pledge to boost fertility treatment won't reverse declining birth rate, say experts See in context
Help for infertile couples? Meanwhile there are about 40,000 children living in orphanages or institutionalized care homes in Japan who would love to have a stable and compassionate family to care for them. Single friends and couples whom I know have adopted Japanese children, but the government needs to grant more rights to the children. For a government that claims to value children so much, it needs to do more to help those who have been abused and neglected.
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Posted in: Democrats ask for investigation into DOGE's access to Treasury's payment systems
Posted in: Democrats ask for investigation into DOGE's access to Treasury's payment systems
browny1 Elon's at it again. How do you get to that bizarre claim?
Posted in: Mass leak of personal, other records hits Hello Kitty park operator
You don’t know the cost or where the money is coming from yet. But of course you’ll be fine with…
Posted in: Democrats ask for investigation into DOGE's access to Treasury's payment systems