March 30 & April 1, 2016
It has come to light that a ruling Liberal Democratic Party candidate in this summer’s Upper House election said that mothers are to blame for the increasing number of children who are unable to enter authorized day nurseries.
The LDP runner, Yamada Hiroshi, is known for changing from one conservative party to another. He made this remark on March 31 in a meeting of the LDP Tokyo metropolitan chapter.
In the meeting, Yamada criticized mothers pushing for resolving the issue of the shortage of childcare services as well as the opposition parties supporting them. He reportedly said, “Instead of calling authorities to account for the issue, those mothers should be held responsible for giving birth to children.”
On the same day, Akahata sent Yamada a written question to confirm if he made such a statement. He stated in his written answer sent back by fax, “The primary responsibility for child rearing rests with parents. I think it is a wrong idea to place the responsibility on society.”
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The Welfare Ministry on March 28 corrected its previously announced total number of children waiting to receive daycare services from 23,167 to the more accurate number of 83,375.
The ministry had intentionally narrowed the definition of “children on waiting lists”, by not counting the number of children who are left in unauthorized daycare centers and whose parents are taking extended childcare leave.
Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Tamura Tomoko in March argued in an Upper House Budget Committee meeting, “What the government needs to do now is to release the exact number of children who are not admitted to authorized childcare centers and build a sufficient number of facilities.” The ministry’s correction is in response to Tamura’s demand.
Past related article:
> Build more public facilities and raise care workers’ wages to achieve ‘zero’ waiting list to enter childcare centers [March 13, 2016]
The LDP runner, Yamada Hiroshi, is known for changing from one conservative party to another. He made this remark on March 31 in a meeting of the LDP Tokyo metropolitan chapter.
In the meeting, Yamada criticized mothers pushing for resolving the issue of the shortage of childcare services as well as the opposition parties supporting them. He reportedly said, “Instead of calling authorities to account for the issue, those mothers should be held responsible for giving birth to children.”
On the same day, Akahata sent Yamada a written question to confirm if he made such a statement. He stated in his written answer sent back by fax, “The primary responsibility for child rearing rests with parents. I think it is a wrong idea to place the responsibility on society.”
*****
The Welfare Ministry on March 28 corrected its previously announced total number of children waiting to receive daycare services from 23,167 to the more accurate number of 83,375.
The ministry had intentionally narrowed the definition of “children on waiting lists”, by not counting the number of children who are left in unauthorized daycare centers and whose parents are taking extended childcare leave.
Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Tamura Tomoko in March argued in an Upper House Budget Committee meeting, “What the government needs to do now is to release the exact number of children who are not admitted to authorized childcare centers and build a sufficient number of facilities.” The ministry’s correction is in response to Tamura’s demand.
Past related article:
> Build more public facilities and raise care workers’ wages to achieve ‘zero’ waiting list to enter childcare centers [March 13, 2016]
