About the Center

Child well-being is a multidimensional concept that encompasses physical, psychological, and social dimensions. It concerns both children’s ability to live well in the present and their growth and development as their potential unfolds. Its realization requires not only the protection of children’s rights, but also supportive relationships, living environments, and broader social conditions, including systems of education, health care, and welfare. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted 1989, identifies four fundamental principles: non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Adults and society are therefore expected to provide appropriate support and environments so that the children can express their views and participate in matters that affect them in ways suited to their age, developmental stage, and individual characteristics. Society as a whole must also recognize children not merely as immature beings, but as citizens who grow while actively exercising their rights as rights-holders.

Building on these principles, our Research Center views the relationship between children and society through the lens of the “co-development of children and society,” in which both influence one another and change over time. This perspective moves beyond the conventional framework in which society unilaterally supports children. Through deeper understanding of children, as well as children’s expression of their views and participation in society, social institutions and values can themselves be transformed, enabling children and society to shape better ways of living together. From this concept of co-development, child well-being is reframed not merely as an individual concern, but as an issue closely connected to the broader social systems in which children live.

Toward this goal, the Research Center seeks to identify, from multiple perspectives, the elements that constitute child well-being and the factors that support or hinder it. We will also explore forms of support tailored to children’s diverse experiences and needs, ways to promote greater understanding of children within society, and environments and institutions that facilitate children’s participation in society. To translate this vision into grounded empirical research, we pursue our work through three stages: (1) model development, (2) social implementation, and (3) sustainability. Ultimately, we aim not only to generate academic knowledge, but also to create broad social impact that contributes to child well-being through changes in practice and institutions across multiple spheres of society, including government, local communities, schools, and families.