2003 JAPAN LAW: HAVE MORE CHILDREN - NEW CHILD CARE LAW
Keywords: Family Law, Child Care Law
Copyright 2004. All rights reserved Attorney Roderick H. Seeman
===============================================================
The government enacted a law in July, 2003 requiring all levels of government to create an environment such that people will have more children. Companies with more than 300 employees will be required to provide child care programs by fiscal 2005. The government hopes to enhance maternity and paternity leave programs. Child welfare benefits will be made available to all families with young children. This is in response to the rapid aging of the Japanese population and the decline in birth rate. Nevertheless, in view of the response of the government in the following two articles involving surrogate births and test tube babies, one must question that, as usual, government bureaucrats can not help themselves in always sticking to every little rule. Quite clearly a case of not being able to see the trees for the forest.