The March 7 edition of Japan Today reports on the announcement by The Children’s Hospice Project (CHP), The Nippon Foundation and Uniqlo of a plan to build Japan’s first community-supported hospice for children to go ahead. The hospice will boast 979.11 square meters of floor space over two floors, on a 2,000-square-metre property. The TSURUMI Children’s Hospice will have playrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and accommodation for children and their families.
Construction starts in mid-March 2015, with plans to open in December this year.
Run by volunteers and at no cost to users, the hospice will use donations to offer medical, educational, and childcare resources, as well as respite care services. Volunteers will include medical practitioners, nurses, school teachers, and nursery staff. The collaborative project aims to use the hospice to create an environment that is community friendly and fully supported by the public.
It is believed that in Japan, there are around 200,000 children aged 15 and under who suffer from life threatening and life-limiting conditions.
Uniqlo and The Nippon Foundation, which supports the CHP, agreed to jointly fund the construction and operation of the hospice, and in 2014 the Osaka city government approved the CHP’s proposal to build on a property in Tsurumi Ryokuchi.
Read the full report on Japan Today.
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