Children’s Cafeteria, a grassroots movement to fight child poverty

Relative poverty is a problem not only in developing countries but also in developed countries.

Relative poverty refers to being poorer than the majority of people in a country or region compared to absolute poverty, which is the inability to meet even the minimum standard of living required to survive.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, one in seven children in Japan live in relative poverty. Some might think, “If a child can live a minimum standard of living, then relative poverty is not such a big problem, is it?”

However, when children face a series of situations, “other children around me can do it, but I can’t,” such as not being able to eat a balanced diet, to buy new clothes, and to go to college, their self-esteem declines and their motivation to learn and hope for the future are eroded. Eventually, when they become adults, it will be difficult for them to secure an income, and their children’s generation will also fall into poverty, creating a cycle of poverty.

Children’s Cafeterias provide relief places for children to stay

Many low-income families work long hours or work atypical hours. Thus, children whose parents work late into the night and must spend after-school hours alone tend to have few connections with others and are socially isolated.

To address the issue, “Children’s Cafeterias” have been opened throughout Japan to provide such children with nutritious meals and a place to stay.

Activities to provide meals in the community have existed for a long time. Still, a greengrocer in Ota Ward, Tokyo, created the impetus for the nationwide spread of “children’s cafeterias.” In 2012, after learning that there were children who could not eat breakfast and dinner every day, the store owner set up a space where children could eat inside the greengrocer and named it the Children’s Cafeteria. At that time, relative poverty began attracting attention, spreading this activity throughout Japan.

Children’s Cafeterias are free or subsidized cafeterias started by the private sector and are open to children on their own. Although there is no public system in place to support their operation, the number of Children’s Cafeterias continues to increase, reaching as many as 6,000 in Japan as of 2020.

Current status and issues of Children’s Cafeterias

While the advantage is that anyone can start a Children’s Cafeteria, some cafeterias have become difficult to operate and have been forced to shut down due to a lack of space, volunteers, and foodstuffs. Although the number of Children’s Cafeterias has exploded since 2016, holding a cafeteria only temporarily does not mean that you have created a place for children to stay in a real sense. In the future, creating a system for sustainable operation will be necessary.

In addition, there is no clear definition of a “Children’s Cafeteria,” and each region operates differently. In some areas, the cafeterias support children from impoverished families, while in other areas, they serve as community centers for socially isolated people. As a result, there are variations in quality and role, and children do not always have a cafeteria nearby where they feel comfortable. To provide a place that meets the different needs of children, we need to have several Children’s Cafeterias within easy reach of children as options.

Children’s Cafeterias are grassroots efforts started by ordinary people to support children. It may not be the most effective and direct way to address poverty compared to support from professional counselors, financial benefits, scholarships, and job assistance. However, the fact that what started with one person has attracted public attention and continues to expand its network proves that the Children’s Cafeteria has significant social significance.