Photo/Illutration The Children and Families Agency (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

To prevent sexual predators from gaining access to children, the Children and Families Agency has launched a database listing individuals who lost their prefectural nursery teacher certification due to sexual abuse of minors.

The database, which went live in April, can be accessed by recruiters at child care facilities, who must use it to conduct background checks on job applicants.

The database compiles records from each prefecture dating to 2003, when national licensing for nursery workers began.

It includes information on individuals who were removed from prefectural registers of nursery teachers for committing sexual acts against minors, secretly filming them and other forms of sexual abuse.

The database also includes individuals flagged by prefectures for child sexual abuse complaints in cases where no criminal charges were filed.

When a person is removed from a prefecture’s list of registered nursery teachers due to misconduct, the individual still retains a professional license and can re-register for the list after a minimum of three years.

However, records will be kept in the Children and Families Agency database for at least 40 years.

As of April 1, there were 97 entries in the database.

Approximately 100,000 facilities nationwide, including nurseries, child welfare facilities and after-school day care centers, are required to consult the database when hiring new workers.

To address privacy concerns, access to the database is restricted to authorized recruiters, who are issued IDs and passwords by the government.

Child care facilities are not required to automatically reject job candidates who appear in the database.

However, potential employers must carefully consider their hiring decision by discussing the candidate’s work history with them and, with their consent, verifying details with past employers.

Additionally, the database cannot be used to screen existing employees.

The nursery worker database is part of a broader government initiative addressing child sexual abuse. In fiscal 2023, the education ministry launched a similar database for school teachers who have lost their licenses due to sexual abuse.

Last month, the Cabinet approved a bill that also requires schools and child care facilities to check their employees and prospective hires for criminal records of sex crimes.

The bill, drafted by the agency, is being discussed in the current Diet session.

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