[No. 42] A New National Qualification for Housework Support Will Be Established

“It seems a national qualification for housework support is being created.”

This topic is spreading throughout the nursing care and welfare industry. Today, from the perspective of a consultation support specialist, I will organize what this new qualification means.

What has been decided?

In April 2026, the government announced its policy to establish a national qualification for housework support services at the Japan Growth Strategy Council. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry are leading the system design, with the goal of conducting the first examination around the autumn of 2027. This policy was also included in the growth strategy approved by the Cabinet in July 2026.

The nature of this qualification is not an upgrade of a private certification. It is designed using the framework of a national qualification called a 'skills test,' establishing standards for quality and reliability based on job analysis. It is expected that multiple grades will be established, and those who pass will be able to call themselves 'skilled workers'.

Visualizing the expertise of housework support

The greatest significance of the creation of this qualification is that knowledge and skills related to housework support will be officially certifiable.

Until now, housework support has tended to be viewed as 'work anyone can do.' In reality, there are many situations that require expertise, such as the ability to plan and carry out tasks efficiently within a limited time, consideration for respecting the user's lifestyle, and the observational skills to notice changes in physical condition or appearance.

If this expertise becomes visible through certification, it will lead to improved service quality and ensure trust from users.

Why a national qualification for housework support now?

The government's aim is to prevent cases where working-age people are forced to quit their jobs due to nursing care or child-rearing. The idea is to increase the number of people who can continue working by making housework support services easier to use.

What is important here is the positioning of this qualification. This qualification is being conceived outside the nursing care insurance system. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and is being promoted in the context of growth strategy rather than through discussions in the Nursing Care Insurance Subcommittee or the Disability Subcommittee. The policy objective is to train providers of peripheral self-pay services that are not covered by nursing care insurance.

In other words, it is operating under a different framework from the housework assistance provided by nursing care insurance or disability welfare services. Not confusing these is the first premise to grasp.

Expanding support options

An increase in personnel with professional qualifications means an expansion of options for users.

When people with disabilities or their families want to supplement areas that are not covered by institutional services with their own funds, they will have the option of 'being able to rely on someone with a qualification'.

For example, housework assistance under home-visit nursing care is in principle direct support for the individual, and housework for family members is not covered. As I wrote in the 25th issue, a line is inevitably drawn here due to the system. One can think of using self-pay services to supplement the outside of this line.

As a consultation support specialist, I can see this as broadening the range of options I can present, such as 'It is not possible under the system, but here is another option'.

Direct impact on the field of disability welfare

On the other hand, housework assistance for disability welfare will continue to be positioned within the disability welfare system as a category of home-visit nursing care.

There is currently no movement to apply this new qualification directly to housework assistance in disability welfare. For now, we must consider this separately from discussions about changing the qualification requirements for home helpers.

However, we should consider the indirect effects.

One is the possibility of a competition for workers. If holders of the new qualification flow into the private-pay housework support market, it may become even more difficult to secure home helpers for disability welfare and long-term care insurance housework assistance.

The background to the 'issue of unused in-home care service hours' mentioned in No. 25 is the difficulty in securing home helpers. If the private-pay market is developed and competition in terms of working conditions arises, the risk of an exodus of home helpers currently working under institutional compensation cannot be ignored.

Another is a change in the perception of the user's family. The creation of a national qualification could lead to 'anxiety about support staff who do not have the qualification.' It may become necessary to carefully explain that institutional home helpers have requirements such as initial training.

Social impact of institutionalization

The social recognition of the value of housework support could lead to securing support staff and improving their working conditions.

A public qualification is being established for work that has previously been viewed as 'something any housewife can do.' This change has the potential to boost the social status of those engaged in housework support itself.

This is consistent with the expansion of the treatment improvement addition to consultation support mentioned in No. 45, but I feel that the direction of 'giving fair evaluation to work that is hard to see' is progressing throughout the welfare field.

The meaning of moving in the context of growth strategy

This measure is structured so that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Children and Families Agency are each approaching the theme of housework support from different angles.

The compensation cuts for new service providers mentioned in No. 38, the triple revision mentioned in No. 40, and this national qualification for housework support. I feel that these are all part of one major trend of incorporating private-sector power while protecting the sustainability of the system.

There is a limit to securing welfare workers only from within the system. Therefore, we are creating a mechanism to foster workers outside the system as well. This way of thinking is likely to become even stronger in the future.

How to face this as a consultation support specialist

At this point, this qualification will not directly change our daily work. However, it is worth keeping the following three points in mind.

The first is to understand it as an option for private-pay services. How can we supplement the parts that are lacking in the system? Know it as one of the drawers in your toolkit.

The second is to keep a close eye on trends in securing home helpers. Whether the services for the users you are in charge of are provided stably is directly linked to the status of securing workers.

The third is to organize it as material for explaining to families. The difference between institutional services and private-pay services, and the qualification requirements for each. If you can organize and convey this, you can help families make decisions.

Correctly understand the trends of new systems and utilize them in support. I want to maintain an attitude of using changes as options rather than being swayed every time the system changes.