E. Family Environment and Alternative Care
(Articles 5, 9-11, 18(1) and (2), 20, 21, 25 and 27(4))
Issue 26. Child Welfare Deliberation Committee
90.
The Child Welfare Act requires that the heads of larger local governments and basic
local governments should set up the Child Welfare Deliberation Committee which reviews the
matters pertaining to the protective dispositions for children subject to protection (including
counseling, guidance and other measures necessary for foster care, admission to a child welfare
facility, admission to a specialized treatment institution or adoption), the matters pertaining to
the discharge of those children from the relevant facilities, the matters pertaining to the claim
for restricting the exercise of parental authority or sentencing the loss of parental authority, the
matters pertaining to the request for selection or replacement of a child’s guardian, and the
matters pertaining to the selection of children subject to protection and the provision of support
to the selected children.
91.
However, there are still some local governments which do not have the Child Welfare
Deliberation Committee. In accordance with the Child Welfare Act, local governments should
formulate an ordinance which governs the structure, composition and operation of the Child
Welfare Deliberation Committee, but, as of July 2019, such ordinance exists in only 176 out of
the total 243 local governments (in 17 cities/provinces and 226 si/gun/gu entities) which are
legally obliged to adopt such ordinance.
92.
In the Policies for Children toward Building an Inclusive Society which was published
in May 2019, the Government planned to establish a committee for case determination under
the Child Welfare Deliberation Committee in order to ensure that the best way of protection is
chosen for each of the children subject to protection. However, even the Child Welfare
Deliberation Committee is not in place in many local governments.
93.
The Government should support the Child Welfare Deliberation Committees so
that they can be fully specialized for effective operation, deliberations and case
management, in order to ensure that local governments take the best measures for the
children subject to protection.
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