Japan’s Children and Families Agency is currently discussing the details of a new program to provide day care services for all infants, regardless of their parents‘ employment status, sources report.
Scheduled for a full launch by fiscal 2025, the program will offer day care services for children aged 6 months to 2 years who are not enrolled in nursery schools.
An expert panel will address key aspects such as the maximum usage time, fees, and subsidy rates for participating facilities. An interim report on the discussions is expected by December.
The program aims to support parents of young children and promote child development through social interactions. Trials have already begun in select areas. The agency plans to finalize program details in fiscal 2025, with a goal of expanding to more municipalities and achieving nationwide implementation by fiscal 2026.
Currently, trial usage is capped at 10 hours per month, a limit some local governments consider insufficient. Future discussions will consider increasing this limit while considering the potential workload for day care workers.
Participating facilities in the trials receive a subsidy of ¥850 per hour per child and charge parents ¥300 in usage fees. Discussions will evaluate if these amounts are sustainable and whether cancellation fees should be introduced.
Additionally, the agency plans to create a guidebook with practical information for participating facilities, including best practices for interacting with children.
Another topic under consideration is the introduction of home visit services for children requiring special care, such as those needing suctioning or respirator management, who cannot easily leave their homes.
