A Story of Strengthening the Organizational Infrastructure of the International Social Service Japan - A Social Welfare Corporation
Provide support for adoption, acquisition of nationality for stateless children, visitation or contact with a child in Japan and refugees
4,000 consultations per year on welfare matters regardless of nationality
Long-established organization strengthens financial resources and organizational structure for further development
For 67 years, “International Social Service Japan” has provided welfare consultation across a national border. The organization has been active for a long time but has faced issues such as a lack of communication with the public and the aging of its supporters. We asked them about their efforts to address these issues over the last two years.
[This is a re-edited version of an article originally published in No. 357 edition, THE BIG ISSUE JAPAN (April 15, 2019).]
Assists With Cross-Border Adoptions, Tracing One’s Birth Parents and Reclaiming One’s Nationality
International Social Service Japan (hereafter referred to as “ISSJ”) was founded in 1952 to provide international adoptions for children born to US soldiers and Japanese women after the war, primarily to American families. Ms. Mieko Ishikawa, General Director of the ISSJ, said, “In 1955, ISSJ became the Japanese branch of the International Social Service (ISS), which is an advisory organization to the United Nations, and was accredited as a social services welfare agency in 1959.”
Ms. Mieko Ishikawa
Currently, ISSJ's main focus is on “adoption assistance” and “support of families who have connections with foreign countries.” When we spoke with ISSJ staff member Ms. Yuko Shigeto, she told us that ISSJ receives over 4,000 consultations per year, including phone and email. The number of consultations from the Middle East and Asia is growing, and “Certified Social Workers who studied social work in Japan and abroad, as well as staff from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, are responding in collaboration with lawyers, child guidance centers, and embassies.”
As for “adoption assistance,” the ISSJ advocates for the placement of children living in Japanese infant homes and orphanages into the homes of Japanese or foreign married couples living in Japan. “Since these children come from a variety of backgrounds, we will watch over them for three years until they are settled into their new homes.”
Ms. Yuko Shigeto
ISSJ receives daily inquiries from adopted individuals seeking to trace their birth parents. “After verifying the individual's identification, we provide counseling and inquire about the reasons and motivations for wanting to know their birth parents, and then we consider how to provide the information. If ISSJ assisted in the adoption, we provide information based on prior records; if we were not involved, we will assist in locating the individual's birth parents using any available clues.” “In terms of assisting families with international ties,” the ISSJ supports the restoration of nationality to stateless children born in Japan, as well as “parent-child visitation,” which enables internationally married parents to see their children following divorce in accordance with the Hague Convention. Additionally, as a UNHCR* partner organization, we provide counseling and assistance with resettlement to refugees and refugee claimants who have fled to Japan.
* The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
All Staff Participated in 8 Workshops
Anxiety Evolved into a Shared Sense of Crisis
“We receive fees for adoption and adoptees searching for their biological parents, but the majority of our financial resources come from donations. We were having some issues with aging board members, internal decision-making processes, and accounting management, so we applied for the Panasonic NPO/NGO Support Fund to help us improve our financial and organizational management structure,” said Ms. Ishikawa.
ISSJ's operations are supported by longtime supporters and donors. Many of them have been involved with the organization for 30 to 40 years, and the biannual film event and bazaar draw nearly 700 people.
“Because our supporters were well-established, our organization's activities became routine, and we did not actively report on our accomplishments. However, as our supporters aged, donations decreased. Instead of that, we raised our grant funding, which constrained our operations and made it nearly impossible for our staff to carry out our duties.”
Therefore, during the first year of the grant, two project teams comprised of board members and trustees were formed, one to “strengthen the financial base” and another to “review the projects,” and they collaborated with an outside consultant to conduct an organizational diagnosis. As a result, it became evident that the ISSJ was experiencing difficulties with “inadequate communication between board members and employees,” “bad public relations and lack of public recognition,” and “few supporters as a result of these factors.”
In 2017, after the first year of the grant, the Social Welfare Act was revised, and almost all of the organization's board members were replaced. Additionally, while the ISSJ's mission stated, “A Hand of Love Beyond Borders,” they said that “the organization's ultimate goal was not explained.” “It made me realize how important it is to have a mission and vision in the first place.”
Furthermore, as field support activities became more complex as society changed, there was concern about “whether the board members were able to share the anxiety and sense of isolation felt by the frontline staff.” As a result, eight workshops were held in 2018, the second year of the grant, with all staff, including board members, participating. Each session consisted of a half-day of group activities that included surveys, presentations, and discussions.
“By expressing our candid ideas, the unease felt by staff members developed into a shared feeling of crisis regarding ISSJ operations, and we were able to freely communicate opinions outside our areas of responsibility, so increasing the organization's openness,” Ms. Shigeto explained. Ms. Ishikawa also believes that “our work has become easier than before now that we know what each other values and have a better mutual understanding.”
“Over the past two years, we have set the direction of ISSJ and compiled a draft of our ‘three-year mid-term goals and mid-term plan.’ We will put that into action starting in fiscal 2019.”
Family Stories, Refugee Dreams: Communicating What Happens on the Support Frontlines
ISSJ distributed flyers inviting donations from its members and film event attendees, to whom it had previously only sent newsletters and business reports. A donor management database was created to centralize and manage the history of past donations and participation in the film event. “We've seen an increase in donations when we've asked for them, so we know it works.”
Furthermore, the organization's accounting management methods were renewed last year. They are working to improve accounting efficiency and transparency, as well as redesigning their website.
A number of dramatic stories occur on a daily basis in the area of ISSJ's support activities.
For example, Ryo (pseudonym), a 4-year-old boy, was born to an unmarried mother who was unable to raise him and placed him in an infant home. In collaboration with the child guidance center, ISSJ social workers visited the birth mother's home and the infant home, interacted with Ryo, and interviewed the people involved, resulting in Ryo being adopted by an American family living in Japan. The adoptive parents and their three children received hands-on training at the infant home. Ryo now enjoys spending his days riding around on his bike with his older brothers and going to the swimming pool.
“Other cases include an African woman who fled alone to Japan at the age of 22 after her father was murdered and her husband was kidnapped during the pro-democracy movement, and a young man who was granted refugee status, graduated from night junior high school, and is now in high school, with the goal of opening a restaurant serving his native cuisine. Each person we interact with in our support activities has a unique story, but we have rarely shared it for fear of upsetting the individual. We would like to think about how we can better convey their current situation to others.”
The ISSJ has received an increasing number of requests to give lectures at universities and to the public. “We would like to focus our efforts on training in FY 2019. I don't believe there is a single person in the welfare profession today who isn't involved with people with foreign heritage. I would like to share what I know from my own experience to help them in their work.” Ms. Ishikawa enthusiastically said.
“Despite the sudden attention paid to the issue of foreigners, the social infrastructure is sorely missing. For those who have nowhere else to turn for advice, we hope to strengthen our volunteer projects and share more of our expertise in order to contribute to the overall improvement of Japanese society.”
[Organization Profile]
Social Welfare Corporation International Social Service Japan
(International Social Service Japan)
ISSJ is a private organization that consults on a variety of welfare issues that arise when individuals cross international borders. Social workers provide consultation to each individual in cooperation with ISS branches in various countries, as well as hospitals, health centers, child guidance centers, schools, and other related organizations.
