Revised Child Welfare Act Inspection Officer Certificate Form

The Cabinet Office promulgated Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 75, “Cabinet Office Ordinance to Partially Amend the Cabinet Office Ordinance Concerning Special Provisions for the Format of Identification Certificates Carried by Officials During On-site Inspections, etc., Based on the Provisions of Laws under the Jurisdiction of the Children and Families Agency and the Enforcement Regulations of the Child Welfare Act,” in the Official Gazette dated September 7, 2026. Signed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, this ordinance partially amends the Enforcement Regulations of the Child Welfare Act (Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No. 11 of 1948) based on the provisions of Article 34-22, Paragraph 1 of the Child Welfare Act (Act No. 164 of 1947), and revises the format of the identification certificates carried by officials during on-site inspections.

Details of the Certificate Format Revision

The amendment is carried out by mapping the formats of the official identification certificates specified in each article of the Enforcement Regulations of the Child Welfare Act from the “Before Amendment” column to the “After Amendment” column, and by adding new provisions. The targets include the formats of certificates to be carried by officials of child guidance centers and the Children and Families Agency during on-site inspections, etc., such as those under Article 18-16, Paragraph 2; Article 34-5, Paragraph 2; Article 34-7-3, Paragraph 2; Article 34-7-6, Paragraph 2; Article 34-14, Paragraph 2; Article 34-18-2, Paragraph 2; Article 34-25, Paragraph 2; and Article 46, Paragraph 2 of the Act.

• Certificates shall follow Form No. 3
• The Director of the Child Guidance Center shall determine the format of the certificate when deemed necessary
• Applicable also to on-site inspections, etc., pertaining to the duties of prefectural governors or mayors of municipalities (including mayors of special wards)

Effective Date and Transitional Measures

According to the supplementary provisions, this Cabinet Office Ordinance shall come into effect on October 1, 2026. However, the provisions for the amendment of Form No. 1 and Form No. 6 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Child Welfare Act in Article 1, as well as the amendment provisions of Article 2 (excluding the part of the amendment provisions of said article that changes “Article 46, Paragraph 1” to “Article 34-25, Paragraph 1 and Article 46, Paragraph 1”), shall come into effect on the date of promulgation.

Documents currently in use according to the format prior to the amendment at the time of enforcement shall be deemed to be according to the format after the amendment, and forms based on the old format may be patched and used for the time being.

Impact on Laws and Regulations under the Jurisdiction of the Children and Families Agency

Article 2 also amends a portion of the Cabinet Office Ordinance Concerning Special Provisions for the Format of Identification Certificates Carried by Officials During On-site Inspections, etc., Based on the Provisions of Laws under the Jurisdiction of the Children and Families Agency (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 42 of 2023). This Cabinet Office Ordinance provides special provisions allowing identification certificates carried by officials during on-site inspections based on the provisions of various laws, including the Child Welfare Act, to follow the attached format regardless of the provisions of other laws and regulations. This amendment organizes the target articles of said ordinance.

Impact on Field Operations

This amendment revises the format of the identification certificates carried by officials of child guidance centers and the Children and Families Agency when conducting on-site inspections of facilities, etc. Following the enforcement date of October 1, 2026, operations using the new format will be required. Transitional measures have been established allowing the use of the old format forms for the time being to ensure a smooth transition in the field.

Source: Official Gazette (Extra Edition) dated September 7, 2026, Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 75 “Cabinet Office Ordinance Partially Amending the Enforcement Regulation of the Child Welfare Act and the Cabinet Office Ordinance Concerning Special Provisions for the Format of Identification Certificates Carried by Officials During On-site Inspections, etc., Based on the Provisions of Laws under the Jurisdiction of the Children and Families Agency” (20260907g001990001.full.md)