1.
infant home; nursery for abandoned or orphaned infants
A residential facility that cares for infants and toddlers (typically under age 2 or 3) who cannot be raised by their parents due to neglect, abuse, parental illness, or other circumstances. A type of child welfare institution in Japan.
その赤ちゃんは乳児院に預けられた。
The baby was placed in an infant home.
乳児院でボランティアをしている。
I volunteer at an infant home.
乳児院で育った子どもの多くは、その後養子に出されるか児童養護施設に移る。
Many children raised in infant homes are later adopted or transferred to children's welfare facilities.
A compound of 乳児 (infant, baby) and 院 (institution). These are specifically for very young children, typically from birth to around age 2. After that age, children move to 児童養護施設 (children's homes) if they cannot return to their families.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 乳児院に預ける: to place (a child) in an infant home
- 乳児院で育つ: to grow up in an infant home
- 乳児院の職員: infant home staff
RELATED WORDS:
- 児童養護施設: children's welfare facility — for older children (roughly ages 2-18)
- 養子縁組: adoption — the legal process of adopting a child
- 里親: foster parent — a family that temporarily cares for children
- 孤児院: orphanage — an older, more general term