Childcare service deregulation reduces quality of meals for children

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Childcare service deregulation reduces quality of meals for children

The government’s Headquarters for Promotion of Special Zones for Structural Reform on February 4 confirmed a further deregulation of childcare services allowing childcare centers throughout Japan to outsource meal services for children aged between three and six. The plan is expected to be adopted as a government policy by early March.

Many parents and childcare workers have expressed opposition to the deregulation claiming that it will make it difficult for childcare facilities to provide children with nutritious meals. However, the government’s headquarters has promoted the deregulation for “efficiency” and “cost reduction” of childcare services.

Childcare centers in areas designated as a “special zone” have already provided children with meals cooked outside their facilities since 2004.

In one of the special zones, Tahara City in Aichi Prefecture, nearly 10 percent of voters signed a petition calling on the municipality to have childcare centers cook meals in their own kitchens. In 2007, residents filed a lawsuit in this regard.

Residents revealed in the lawsuit that at one of the childcare facilities in the city, children eat meals prepared about 20km away at a school lunch center which prepares the same meals for children whether they are three years old or junior high school students.

Before the deregulation, the childcare facility, for example, had steamed sweet potatoes in its kitchen to serve children. Now they eat frozen steamed sweet potatoes reheated at the school lunch center.

When the meal center was closed during summer vacation for a week, hotdogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches were served to children everyday for a week.

The government’s headquarters concluded that the deregulation has not caused any problems in Tahara City, stating that it “enabled the limited municipal budget to be allocated to improve its childcare services.”

- Akahata, February 5, 2010