Support systems provided by JAXA
Hoshinoko Nursery School is an employer-provided nursery school opened in the Tsukuba Space Center in April 2012 as part of the support provided to JAXA employees that would ensure the healthy balance between meeting the demands of work and childcare. Hoshinoko Nursery School has a maximum admission capacity of 18 children (from 57 days old to the age before children attend elementary school) of JAXA employees and fulltime partner-employees at the Tsukuba Space Center (i.e., temporary workers and employees from subcontracting companies). This school provides children with a rich natural environment as a nursing environment where they could explore freely and easily. The target users of Hoshinoko Nursery School are the employees of JAXA and fulltime partner-employees at the Tsukuba Space Center.
From the stage of pregnancy until the stages of childbirth and after childbirth
Leave System for Female Employees
① Health guidance and health examination for female employees who are expecting or nursing mothers or who have just given birth
This system allows female employees who are expecting or nursing mothers or who have just given birth to leave from work and receive health guidance in accordance with their health examination results.
Until the 23rd week of pregnancy: once per 4 weeks
From the 24th week until the 35th week: once per 2 weeks
From the 36th week until childbirth: once per week
One year after childbirth (to be calculated from the day after the date of childbirth): once
However, in the event that she receives a different instruction from her doctor, this system shall follow the said doctor’s instruction.
② Breaks during pregnancy
When a pregnant female employee is instructed by a doctor or midwife to take breaks, this system allows such an employee to extend her break time or increase the frequency of her break periods in accordance with the instructions of the doctor or midwife.
During pregnancy, such a female employee may take her breaks as instructed by the doctor or midwife.
③ Relief from work during pregnancy
When a doctor or midwife instructs a pregnant female employee to take a period of relief from work, this system allows such a female employee to shorten or leave from work or take other actions in accordance with the instructions of the doctor or midwife.
When a pregnant female employee is instructed by a doctor or midwife to render shorter work hours, such a female employee may do so, if necessary; she may take one hour or less off from work, either at the start or end of a normal work day.
④ Leave before childbirth
This system grants pregnant female employees a special leave for the period within 6 weeks (14 weeks in case of multiple pregnancies) from their estimated due date.
A special leave may be granted for the period within 6 weeks (14 weeks in case of multiple pregnancies) before their expected delivery date. However, they must apply for the above special leave by the day before its start date.
⑤ Leave after childbirth
This system grants female employees a leave for the period within eight weeks after the date of childbirth. This leave shall be granted to such female employees for the period for which they applied, with the limit of eight weeks from the day after their delivery date. When such female employees apply to return to work six weeks after their delivery date, they may do so if they are given a clearance by a doctor for the same. (However, this application will not be accepted until six weeks after childbirth).
Leave System for Male Employees
⑥ Leave for male employees whose spouse will give birth
This system grants a special leave to male employees whose spouse will give birth.
The maximum period of this special leave is three days, which will be granted as necessary within the period from their spouse’s hospitalization date to two weeks after delivery date. This special leave may be granted to such male employees for non-consecutive days.
⑦ Leave for male employees taking part in childcare
In the event that a male employee’s spouse gives birth, this system grants a special leave for the period before and after childbirth to such a male employee who takes care (i.e., performing related daily tasks) of a child who is expected to be born or child who has not reached the age for attending the fourth year at elementary school.
Example: This leave may apply to the case where a male employee nurses or attends to his newborn child, or takes his older child to and from nursery school or other such facility.
The duration of this special leave is five days at maximum within the period of before and after the spouse’s childbirth (only after childbirth for the first child). Such male employees may take this special leave on a day and/or an hour basis. The time duration of one day shall be 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Leave after childbirth and during nursing (applicable for both sexes)
⑧ Leave for nursing
This system grants a special leave to employees of both sexes who take care of a child before such a child reaches his/her first birthday.
Such employees may take this special leave twice a day for 30 minutes each until the said child reaches his/her first birthday.
⑨ Leave for tending to a sick/injured child
This system grants a special leave to employees who take care of a child (such as to have a child vaccinated or undergo health examination) before such a child who has not reached the age for attending the fourth year at elementary school , but only in the case where it is found appropriate to grant a leave request to look after the said child in the event of injury or sickness.
If the number of children younger than the minimum age to attend elementary school is 1: not more than 5 days in a year
If the number of children younger than the minimum age to attend elementary school is 2 or more: not more than 10 days in a year
The unit of time to be granted for this special leave is 1 day or 1 hour.
The time duration of 1 day shall be 7 hours and 30 minutes.
① Restrictions on working overtime, on a day-off, and late at night.
For female employees: from pregnancy until one year after the birth of the child.
A female employee who is pregnant or had a child less than a year ago at the time of allocation of work has the right to refuse to work under any of the above conditions; if such a refusal occurs, no work can be allocated to them under the listed conditions.
For employees of both sexes: child who has not reached the age for attending the fourth year at elementary school.
An employee who is nursing the said child has the right to refuse to work under any of the above conditions until the time when the child who has not reached the age for attending the fourth year at elementary school. employees if such a refusal occurs, no work can be allocated to them under the listed conditions. Overtime work here refers to working overtime, on a day-off, and late at night (from 22:00 to 5:00).
In the event that a request should be made for limiting the overtime work of employees who have child who has not reached the age for attending the fourth year at elementary school, their overtime shall be within the period of 4 hours per day, 24 hours per month, and 150 hours per year, respectively.
② Work restrictions for female employees
It is prohibited to assign such employees who are expectant or nursing mothers, jobs which may be harmful to their pregnancy, childbirth, nursing and the like (from the time of pregnancy until one year after the birth of the child).
③ Reduction of workload (female employees)
In the event that employees, who are expectant or nursing mothers, request a reduction in workload, jobs with lighter duties shall be assigned to such employees (from the time of pregnancy until one year after the birth of the child).
④ Procedures to adopt to meet the condition of female employees during pregnancy or after childbirth.
In the event that employees request relevant procedures to be adopted during their pregnancy, any procedure(s) shall be taken in accordance with the instructions and advice by a doctor and other persons, including a reduction in workload, assignment of jobs with lighter duties, and granting of leave (from the time of pregnancy until one year after the birth of the child).
⑤ Shorter working hours for childcare (employees of both sexes).
For employees who take care of child who has not reached the age for attending the fourth year at elementary school, they may request approval from the Director of the Human Resources Department for the following:
- Work 4 hours per day.
- Work 5 hours per day.
- Take 2 days leave between Monday and Friday, and work 7 hours and 30 minutes per day on the remaining 3 days.
- Take 2 days leave during between Monday and Friday, and work for 7 hours and 30 minutes per day on 2 days, and 5 hours on 1 day.
⑥ Reduction of working hours for childcare (employees of both sexes).
For employees who take care of child who has not reached the age for attending the fourth year at elementary school and have not applied for childcare leave or shorter working hours for childcare, they may reduce their daily working hours by no more than 2 hours, at the unit of 30 minutes per day (at the start or end of their normal work day).
⑦ Flextime System (employees of both sexes).
This system is granted to employees who take care of children attending third year of elementary school or younger, have not applied for shorter working hours for childcare, and have not been exempt from overtime work.
① Childcare leave (for employees who care for children aged three years or younger).
Eligible employees are entitled to take childcare leave. (This is unpaid leave; however, if the conditions are met, they will receive childcare leave benefits from the government under the Employment Insurance until the said child reaches one year of age).
② Partial leave for childcare.
Employees, who take care of children not old enough to elementary school, may reduce their daily working hours for taking care of the said child (employees are not paid during this leave).
This leave may be granted up to 2 hours per day until the child reaches the age to attend elementary school.
Dismissal or any other disadvantageous treatment shall not be meted out to any employees on account of having applied for, or taken, childcare leave, reduced working hours for childcare, reduction of working hours for childcare, or sick/injured childcare leave.
- Leave for male employees whose spouse gives birth
- Leave for male employees taking part in childcare
- Limits on and prohibition of overtime
- Prohibited from working on a day-off and overtime
- Childcare time
- Childcare leave (in the event that employees have used childcare leave for more than 20 days, they are entitled to receive childcare leave benefits from the government)
- Shorter working hours for childcare
- Reduction of working hours for childcare
- Flextime system
- Leave to care for children
- Prohibition of disadvantageous treatment
Explanation
- Prior to childbirth, develop a plan for leave based on the expected date of birth (April 1).
- Employees are entitled to 6 weeks leave prior to the expected date of birth (i.e., 42 days including Saturdays and Sundays, which in this case would be February 19).
- Leave after childbirth can be planned for a period of 8 weeks subsequent to the expected date of birth (i.e., 54 days including Saturdays and Sundays).
- After taking leave after childbirth, annual leave is available before taking childcare leave.
- Childcare leave is available until one day before the said child reaches three years of age.
- Employees may apply for shorter or reduced working hours for childcare after returning to work, providing they do not take childcare leave.
- Employees can apply for shorter or reduced working hours for childcare until the said child is old enough to attend elementary school.
Allowances paid
When persons insured by a health insurance system or their dependents have given birth, the amount of JPY 420,000 per child is paid to the persons as one-off payment for childbirth (* the amount is JPY 390,000 unless such persons give birth at a medical institution that is a member of a compensation scheme of obstetrical care).
Since October 2009, a direct payment system has been in place. Under this system, as medical institutions are directly paid by insurers, the actual expenses of childbirth are paid directly to medical institutions by insurers. In the event that this amount is within the limits of the direct payment, the difference will be paid to the insured persons. In the event that the amount of actual expenses of childbirth exceeds that of the direct payment, the insured persons must pay the difference to the medical institutions. When you apply for the direct payment system, you must sign a letter of consent for the payment system. * The number of medical institutions requesting for you to join the compensation scheme of obstetrical care and the direct payment system have recently increased.
Example:
In the case that the amount of actual expenses of childbirth is JPY 360, 000, Insurer → payment of JPY 360,000 → medical institution (the amount of overpayment 42-36 = JPY 60, 000).
Insurer → payment of excess amount, JPY 60,000 → person insured.
In the case that the amount of actual expenses of childbirth is JPY 500, 000,
Insurer → payment of JPY 420,000 → medical institution (the amount of overpayment 50-42 = JPY 80,000).
Person insured → payment of excess amount, JPY 80,000 → medical institution.
*The Compensation Scheme of Obstetrical Care is as follows: In the event that a baby is born at an institution handling childbirth (hospital, medical office, or a birth center which handles childbirth), which is a member of the system managed by the Japan Council for Quality Health Care, and if the baby suffered from cerebral palsy in connection with its childbirth and meets the prescribed requirements, this scheme will reduce the economic burden on the baby and its family, diagnose the outbreak of cerebral palsy, and provide information which may be useful for preventing the recurrence of any similar cases (by the Japan Council for Quality Health Care).
If a baby is born after January 1, 2009 and meets all of the following requirements, the baby is eligible for coverage under this compensation:
- (1) Its birth weight is over 2,000 g, and its fetus week number is more than 33 weeks, or its fetus week number is more than 28 weeks and meets the prescribed conditions.
- (2) Its cerebral palsy is equivalent to the First Grade/Second Grade of the Physical Disability Certificate.
- (3) Its cerebral palsy is not congenital or due to any factor related to the neonatal period.
For details of the Compensation Scheme of Obstetrical Care, please visit the website of the Japan Council for Quality Health Care.
Structure of Compensation Scheme of Obstetrical Care
* If you give birth at an institution handling childbirth that is a member of this system, you will receive JPY 30,000 as the amount equivalent to the contribution to this system, in addition to a one-off payment for childbirth from your health insurance.
In the event that persons insured by health insurance are absent from work because of childbirth and their wages are not paid by employer, these benefits will be granted.
Even in the case that such persons have lost their status as an insured person, if such status had been in existence for more than one year and if they had received the benefits for childbirth, or fulfilled all the criteria to receive the benefits up until one day before the loss of qualification, they remain eligible to receive the benefits.
・Period when persons insured are eligible to receive the benefits for childbirth:
the number of days = (42 days before childbirth ± the difference between the expected date of birth and the actual date of birth) +56 days after childbirth.
・Amount of benefits:
daily amount of standard remuneration x 2/3 x number of days
The amount of the benefit is different between “the members of health insurance /welfare association” and “the members of National Public Service MAA/welfare association, or the members of National Public Service MAA.”
・Female insured persons who give birth:
Lump Sum Birth Allowance: JPY 420,000 per child.
Additional to Lump Sum Birth Allowance: JPY 100,000 per child.
・A dependent family member of persons insured who gives birth:
Lump Sum Birth Allowance for Family Member: JPY 420,000 per child.
Additional to Lump Sum Birth Allowance for Family Member: JPY 100,000 per child.
・Benefits for Childbirth: Two-thirds (approx. 67%) per day of the daily amount of standard remuneration.
・Additional Benefits For Childbirth: 10% per day of the daily amount of standard remuneration.
・Subsidy to Guidance For Infant Insurance: JPY 2,300 each time, up to 5 times.
・Lending System for the Expenses for Childbirth: amount equivalent to 80% (up to JPY 350,000) of the estimated amount of Lump Sum Birth Allowance, free of interest.
・Childbirth After Retirement: Lump Sum Birth Allowance/Benefits For Childbirth.
① Benefits by the Science and Technology Health Insurance Society, etc.
・A dependent family member of persons insured who gives birth. Childbirth expenses for the dependent family member: JPY 390,000.
- ① If the period of pregnancy is greater than four months (85 days), benefits for childbirth or benefits for childbirth for the dependent family member will be granted, even in the cases of abnormal childbirth, such as a stillbirth, a miscarriage, or an induced abortion.
- ② In the case of giving birth to twins or more, the benefits will be granted according to the number of babies.
- ③ If you give birth at a medical institution or the like which is a member of the Compensation Scheme of Obstetrical Care, you will receive the benefits along with an additional amount of JPY 30,000. (in case of less than JPY 30,000, the amount will be substantially equivalent to JPY 30,000) which is equivalent to the contribution to the Compensation Scheme of Obstetrical Care.
- ④ The direct payment system has been introduced for the expenses of childbirth from October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011. Under this system, any payment relating to childbirth expenses is made directly to a medical institution or the like.
This system aims to reduce economic burden for payment of the expenses for childbirth at the counter of medical institution or the like.
For more detailed information, please contact a person in charge of mutual aid at a branch of your association.
・General loan: up to 6 times of your monthly salary (interest rate: 4.26% per annum).
・Loan available during childcare leave (please see Section 7).
If you had an existing loan and had to borrow a new loan during childcare leave, you may request a grace period on the principal of your loans during childcare leave.
Please click here: the website of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Aid Association.
* If you have any queries, please contact the Division of Allowance and Welfare.
② Benefits granted by the Welfare Association.
・Special Loan: Up to JPY 500,000 per child (interest rate: 2.16% per annum).
Benefits are granted in the following case:
An employee leaves work to care for a child under one year of age (under the age of one year and two months in certain cases, and under the age of one year and six months in cases where his or her application was not accepted by any day-care center for children) and returns to work after taking such leave; the employee has been insured for more than 12 months during the two-year period prior to taking such leave.
Benefits are granted to fixed-term employees in the following cases:
- ① The employee has worked for the same employer for more than one year at the time he or she begins childcare leave; further, he or she is expected to remain employed by the same employer, with renewal of the employment contract, for more than three years after completing such childcare leave.
- ② The employee has worked for the same employer for more than three years at the time he or she begins childcare leave; moreover, he or she is expected to remain employed by the same employer, with renewal of the employment contract, for more than one year after completing such childcare leave.
Conditions to qualify for childcare leave benefits:
- ① The employee has maintained insured status continuously from the starting date to the ending date of the payment period unit.
- ② The employee has a full day of childcare leave for 20 or more days during the payment period unit. This full day of leave includes Sundays and national holidays, which are not prescribed as working days.
- ③ The wages paid to the employee during the payment period unit are less than 80% of his or her monthly wages at the start of childcare leave.
The payment period unit shall be defined as follows: in cases where the payment period is divided monthly calculated from the starting date of childcare leave, if such a divided month includes the last date of childcare leave or the date when the child reaches one year of age, the payment period unit is the period until the last day of childcare leave or until one day before the child’s first birthday.
Applicable payment period:
The period extends from the starting date of childcare leave until the date when the child reaches one year of age (one day before the child’s first birthday). If childcare leave ends before the date when the child turns one, the period ends with the finishing date of childcare leave.
If an employee wants to receive, and has already applied for, nursing service for the child at a nursery, and no nursery has accepted the application after the child has turned one, the applicable payment period may be extended until the child reaches one year and six months.
Conditions to qualify for an extension of the payment period:
- ① An employee has applied for admission to a nursery (the proposed nursery starting date shall be before the child’s first birthday) and plans to return to work when the child turns one (the initial period of childcare proposed in the application form shall end by the day before the child turns one) but cannot due to “an unavoidable reason” (such as waiting for admission).
- ② The reason for the extension submitted to the employer is consistent with the above-mentioned circumstances (under the changes in the law that took effect in August 2011).
Extension of the payment period will not be accepted in the following cases:
- ① The employee did not apply for admission because, when he or she inquired with the department in charge at the municipality, the reply was that it was difficult to accept an application in the middle of the term or to accept the next application because of over-capacity.
- ② The employee applied for admission to an unauthorized nursery.
- ③ The employee’s proposed starting date for admission is after the child’s first birthday. (Some municipalities will only accept applications for the first day of each month. For example, if the child’s birthday is on October 29, the payment will not be extended unless your proposed admission date is before October 1. Please note the above procedure.)
* The new system known as “Childcare Leave plus Scheme Joined by Mom and Dad” (i.e., the applicable period of childcare leave is extended for both fathers and mothers) has been in effect since June 30, 2010. When employees take childcare leave under this new system and meet the requirements, they will receive benefits for a period of one year, up until one day before the child reaches one year and two months. For this reason, when applying under this new system, “one year of age” will be replaced with “the day after the expected last day of the leave period.”
Amount of benefits:
Fifty percent, equivalent to the amount obtained by multiplying daily wages at the time childcare leave starts by the number of days to be paid.
Procedure:
An application documents to be submitted will be sent to the employee from the Personnel Department within two months of the start of childcare leave. An application will be processed at the Personnel Department.
* This information is provided only for your reference. It is your responsibility to collect information from and use the services of municipalities.
Contact details for the branches of the Public Employment Security Office, which has jurisdiction over enterprises, can be found here: https://www.hellowork.go.jp/
The following are applicable until the child reaches three years of age:
- ① If an application is made by both employer and employee, payment of the insurance premium is exempt during childcare leave.
- * Employees are eligible to receive health insurance benefits regardless of exemption from payment.
- * The number of years the exemption period lasts is added to the length of the eligibility period, which is reflected in the calculation of employee annuity in the future.
- ② If the amount of standard monthly remuneration decreases due to a reduction in working hours or other factors, the amount the employee received before the decrease is considered the amount of standard monthly remuneration during childcare leave.
- ③ The amount of standard monthly remuneration may be revised after the period of childcare leave.
- Childcare allowance (from children before reaching the age to finish the elementary school until graduating from the junior high school; ages will vary depending on the municipality)
- Expenses for feeding infants
- Subsidies for infant medical expenses
- Subsidies for installing child seats
- Birthday gifts (commemorative gifts) and others
The benefits system will be different for each municipality. For details, please visit the municipality’s website.
Consultation Services
Individualized consultation is available with childcare and family-care advisers. We welcome private inquiries on various topics, such as using the support systems provided by JAXA, using the services provided by communities, problems concerning childcare, maintaining a good balance between work and parenting, and so forth.
Childcare Seminars and Exchange Meetings
We plan to invite childcare specialists to hold childcare seminars and exchange meetings for employees. By exchanging childcare information, we help employees resolve childcare anxieties and maintain a good balance between work and parenting.
- Tuesday, July 14, 2015 Childcare exchange meetings were held.
- Venue: Tsukuba (main), Sagamihara, Tokyo, Chofu, Chofu Branch
Participants (Staff, Related parties): 27
- Childcare exchange meetings were held at each office and/or facility.
- Chofu Aerospace Center: November 7 (Friday), Participants (Staff): 7
Tokyo Office: November 17 (Monday), Participants (Staff): 6
Sagamihara Campus: November 18 (Tuesday), Participants (Staff, Related parties): 15
- Monday, October 27, 2014 Child Raising Seminar for staff was held.
- Venue: Tsukuba (main), Sagamihara, Tokyo, Chofu, Chofu Branch, Kakuda
Participants (Staff): 26
General Information on Childcare
To maintain a good balance between work and parenting, there may be a need to utilize institutions and personnel who accept and look after children during work hours. In most cases, parents leave their children with a nursery school (day-care center for children) so they can work. However, there are many more institutions and services that support parents, such as certified children centers, facilities combining kindergarten and nursery school, kindergartens, childcare givers, babysitters, and family support. It is important to select the service that seems most suitable for your way of working, your childcare needs, your family circumstances, and your communities.
References: Brochures are issued by the Department of Support for Children, Department of Education for Children, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; the City of Sagamihara; the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; and the Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Each municipality prescribes its screening criteria for nursery schools (day-care centers for children) based on applicants’ personal information, the application period, and other conditions. It is important to know the criteria and provisions of the municipality to which you want your children to be admitted. Request information from the Department in charge at the appropriate municipal office.
A nursery school is a child welfare facility under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Nursery schools nurse children on behalf of their guardians when they are unable to care for them due to work, poor health, or family care. There are other institutions that provide services, although they differ in their criteria for establishment, staff assignments, and nursing content. These include licensed nursery schools, certified nursery schools (specific to Tokyo Metropolis), nonlicensed nursery schools, and others.
Each municipality prescribes its own criteria for admitting children to day-care centers according to its bylaws.
Please refer to the criteria provided by the “Child Support Department” (or similar) of each municipality.
Examples of admission criteria (for Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo):
(1) The residence or workplace of the guardians should be in Chiyoda-ku
(only licensed nursery schools are available for guardians who work in Chiyoda-ku).
(2) The guardians are unable to nurse their children for any of the following reasons:
① They work during the day.
② They have conditions such as childbirth, poor health, injuries, or physical/mental handicaps.
③ They have to care for a family member who is in poor health, is injured, or has physical/mental handicaps.
④ They are engaged in rescue activities at a disaster area.
⑤ They are enrolled in an official class curriculum of a university or other institution.
⑥ They have similar conditions that prevent them from caring for their children.
(3) Relatives (under 65 years of age) or other people who live with the guardians are unable to care for their children.
Target ages for nursing:
Usually, the targets for nursing range from eight-week-old babies to children just about to enter elementary school. The target ages may vary according to different day-care facilities.
Nursing period:
The nursing period at a day-care center for children typically runs through the end of March in the year the child becomes old enough to attend elementary school; it can also fall within the time frame requested by its guardian. However, the time frame may be shorter when the guardian applies because of job hunting, childbirth, or ill health.
If a guardian wants to continue receiving nursing service beyond the specified period, another screening will be performed to check whether he or she meets the practice criteria of the day-care center.
Further, a survey of the family’s situation will be conducted annually for all people who receive nursing service at a day-care center. If the survey results show that their conditions do not meet the practice criteria of the day-care center, they will no longer be able to use the day-care center’s services.
Operating hours of day-care centers and daily nursing hours:
Operating hours may vary depending on the day-care center. Daily nursing hours will be decided based on the center’s operating hours and in consideration of the guardians’ working hours, commute times, and others factors. Please consult with the day-care center where you want your children to be admitted. At the start, when a child may need time to adjust to communal living, staff members will provide nursing services to the child and communicate with the guardians regarding his or her situation. Day-care centers are closed on Sundays, national holidays, and the holiday period from December 29 to January 3.
Overtime nursing:
Day-care centers for children that provide overtime nursing provide services outside their regular operating hours. If you want to use such services, additional fees will apply.
Nursing on holidays:
Some day-care centers offer service on holidays (i.e., they take in and watch children on holidays while other day-care centers are closed). To use such a service, you will need to make your request in advance and pay additional fees.
Care of children during and after illness:
If a child is unable to receive group nursing service because he or she is sick or recovering from illness, and the guardian cannot care for the child at home, municipalities provide “Nursing service for children during and after illness,” which temporarily looks after such children. To use this service, you need to obtain a special memorandum issued by a doctor (you will need to pay a fee for the issuance) and pay extra fees in addition to regular nursing service fees.
Click HERE for Details on Sick and Recovering Child Care
Temporary childcare as a favor to guardians:
If you have difficultly caring for your child at home due to an emergency (being in the hospital, ceremonial occasions, etc.), you may temporarily place your child with a day-care center for children.
Licensed day-care centers for children:
A licensed day-care center for children is a child welfare facility established under the Child Welfare Act and licensed by the governor of a prefecture or mayor of a municipality. The facility meets the requirements specified by government agencies regarding the size of the space, the number of staff members, adequacy for providing meals, disaster prevention management, hygienic management, and so forth. Such facilities admit and look after children (below elementary school age) when their guardians are unable to care for them due to work, illness, etc. There are public day-care centers managed by municipalities and private (nongovernmental) ones managed by social welfare service corporations. Licensed day-care centers for children are managed at the public’s expense.
Selection criteria for admission:
Nursery schools have selection criteria for admission. Each municipality has its own criteria and determines admissions based on the higher scores on the list of selection criteria. The list is prepared with reference to an adjustment chart for the selection criteria and with consideration for the family’s conditions.
Certified nursery schools (specific to Tokyo Metropolis):
These facilities meet the various needs of guardians while maintaining high-quality services based on the standards for certified nursery schools prescribed by Tokyo Metropolis. Applications for admission are accepted by each facility individually.
Certified children centers:
These facilities provide consistent childcare services for children zero to five years old by combining the existing functions of nursery schools and kindergartens. There are various types of centers, including kindergarten and day-care center collaborations, kindergartens, nursery schools, and facilities managed by local authorities at their own discretion.
These facilities are available to guardians regardless of whether they work.
For details, please visit the following website:
http://www.youho.go.jp/gaiyo.html (MEXT/MHLW: Office for Advancing Kindergartens and Day-Care Centers)
Kindergarten:
Kindergarten is an educational institution based on the School Education Law, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It is positioned as an educational institution where education is provided by instructors specifically qualified to teach kindergarten. The target ages are three to six (below elementary school age), and there is approximately four hours of instruction per day. In recent years, some kindergartens have begun to take in and look after children until around 18:00 or provide after-school education (English classes, art, gym, etc.). There are support systems for advancing after-school education.
Websites for reference (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology):
Childcare professionals (family day-care service):
Childcare professionals provide services for infants or toddlers at their homes or other places. Family day-care services are required to be certified by the municipality (Article 6.3, Section 9 of the Child Welfare Act). Childcare professionals have a certificate from the municipality. They are required to obtain certain qualifications such as nursery teacher, teacher, midwife, health nurse, nurse, and others. A single childcare professional is allowed to accept no more than three children.
If you want to receive family day-care (childcare professional) services, we recommend inquiring with the municipality about its application methods and childcare fees. Conditions vary for each municipality.
A guardian whose child was not admitted to nursery school, or who wants family day-care service rather than group nursing, may want to use this service.
Babysitting:
Babysitting is a service that looks after children at home or other places. While the All Japan Childcare Services Association prescribes the “Requirements for Certified Babysitters,” babysitters, unlike nursery school or kindergarten teachers, are not required to hold any legal capacity. This service requires no qualifications. Babysitting has many advantages, such as flexibility regarding time/needs and taking care of children at home; however, guardians should be careful about using this service. For details, please visit the following websites:
参考サイト
Family Support (Center Project)
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
The Family Support Center project accepts as members people who work while taking care of children, such as infants or elementary school students, and who stay at home. This project communicates and coordinates mutual aid activities (i.e., people who want to provide support help those who want to receive support) between the providers and the receivers of the family support service.
This service includes the following activities: picking up and taking children to childcare facilities; watching children before or after they are taken to childcare facilities (or after school); looking after children when guardians are sick, on urgent business, at ceremonial occasions, or at school events; watching children who are sick; and looking after children early in the morning or late at night (this case is only applicable in municipalities that implemented the enhanced project for emergency responses to children who are sick or face other events).
The fundamental project is carried out by 699 municipalities, and the enhanced project for emergency responses to children who are sick or face other events is carried out by 122 municipalities (figures, results from FY 2012).
To receive this service, you need to register with the Family Support Center in your municipality. Advisers at the center will introduce and coordinate the members who hope to receive service (users of support) and the members who hope to provide service (providers of support); then, the service will start.
After the service is completed, fees are paid to the support providers. Fees and registration methods differ depending on the municipality. Accordingly, please contact the family support center in your municipality for details.
Reference: Information about the Family Support Center (a leaflet issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
This organization provides temporary child care service for sick and recovering children at municipally designated day-care centers, non-registered nurseries, or private day-care service facilities when these children are unable to attend their usual group day-care centers, or their guardians are unable to nurse them at home due to work etc. (Guide for Sick Child Care, Japan Sick Childcare Association）
Depending on the facility, elementary school children can also avail of this service. Some districts have provisions for supporters to care for the recovering children as part of the family-support service. Some organizations send trained nurses and/or nursery staff to visit the homes of the sick children. (Florence, NPO)
To avail of the sick and recovering child care, a utilization memo from a doctor (charged) and extra child care fee, apart from the usual child care fee, are mandatory.
Procedure to Use General Sick and Recovering Child Care
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Pre-registration
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(Example of districts using this system: Minato-ku and Chofu-shi)
The Sick and Recovering Child Care Application Form should be submitted either to the division in charge of child care (such as Family Support Division) at your municipal office, or directly to the sick and recovering child care nursery at the time of deciding your child’s normal child care or when opting for the service. (Confirm the registration procedure by referring to the home page of your local municipality website or the municipality website of your child’s nursery.)
Measures to avoid panic when your child becomes unwell
- Confirm the schedule, and decide on roles for the next week assuming that your child gets sick.
- Make preparations (maternity passbook, medicine card, diapers, change of clothes etc. by referring to the list of things to bring as listed on the home pages and other relevant pages of each child care facility) for going to the Sick and Recovering Child Care Facilities.
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When your child becomes sick
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Call your home doctor (Make a reservation if possible, and inform them that you need a utilization memo for sick and recovering child care)
Call the Sick and Recovering Child Care Facility (and confirm the vacancy)/Application forms may be required for each visit depending on the facility.
Who in your family requires a consultation? Will you leave your child at the sick child care facility /or will you pick up your child?
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Have your child examined by your family doctor (pediatrician)
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←You can save time if your family doctor is working with pediatrics of the Sick child Care Facility
Have your doctor write the utilization form for sick and recovering child care (diagnosis).
Decision will be made on whether your child needs sick or recovering child care.
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Utilization Application
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Complete an application (reservation) to use the Sick and Recovering Child Care Facility. (Advanced Reservations can be made at some facilities) ⇒ Facilities cannot be used if there are no vacancies.
It may take longer than half a day for the child to be accepted at a Sick and Recovering Child Care Facility after falling sick.
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Getting accepted at the Sick and Recovering Child Care Facility
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Examination is conducted by a doctor (or nurse) in charge of the child care facility, unless the facility has a joint pediatrics clinic
Some facilities may not accept the child until the application with charges is completed.
Drop off and pick up the child until the child recovers or until permission to attend the nursery is issued.
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Recovery
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Decision of Doctor or Nurse/Decision of Guardian/ Decision by Rules
(Decision will be made on either one or all of the above depending on the condition of the illness)
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Return to normal child care
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References: Procedure to Use Sick and Recovering Child Care, Children and Family Section, Children and Family Support Division, Minato-ku
Sick Child Care Project for Tsukuba City, Sagamihara City, Chofu City, Mitaka City.
Information about hospitals:
Health consultation:
Childcare consultation:
Information websites for the areas of JAXA’s business offices:
Cases for Work and Childcare Balance:
She joined JAXA eight years ago after completing her master’s degree in engineering.
She is in charge of, and one of the developers for, the satellite communication experiment at the Satellite Applications and Promotion Center of the Satellite Applications Mission Directorate I.
She is a mother of three children who range in age from zero to five. Her husband is an engineer as well. She maintains a good work-childcare balance by using the childcare systems provided inside and outside of JAXA, as well as services provided by community.
- Leave before and after childbirth (as paid vacation) and childcare leave
- Nursing time (30 minutes twice per day, as paid vacation; available until the child turns one)
- Sick/injured childcare leave (five days per year for one child; 10 days per year for two or more children)
- Work I (8:30-16:45)
□ Cooperators for childcare in the family (informal support):
- Her husband (sends children to nursery school)
- Her natural mother (helps Mrs. H. when her children are sick, she works late, or takes a business trip; she lives in the vicinity of Mrs. H.’s residence)
- Her husband’s parents (during longer business trips)
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