Japan Press Weekly

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2013 March 20 - 26 [WELFARE]

Welfare minister wants Tokyo to build more certified child-care centers

Welfare Minister Tamura Norihisa expressed on March 21that he will request the Tokyo government to build more certified child-care centers that meet national standards.

At a House of Councilors welfare committee meeting, the minister made this remark in response to Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Tamura Tomoko, who asked about the ministry’s position regarding the issue of children on waiting lists to enter certified day-care centers in Tokyo.

The JCP parliamentarian pointed out that in Tokyo’s Suginami, Adachi, and Ota wards, parents united in a group have filed complaints with their municipal offices since more than half of applications for admission to authorized day nurseries are rejected. She blamed the government for causing this situation, stressing that it has neglected to provide local governments sufficient financial support for construction of more day-care facilities.

Meanwhile, parents calling for no more waiting for openings for child-care services are making efforts to raise public awareness on this issue through various activities.

In Setagaya Ward on March 24, a group of parents and childcare workers took to the streets near Sangenjaya Station to collect signatures in favor of a petition for an increase in day-care facilities.

The JCP survey shows that in Setagaya, among 4,986 children whose parents applied to have their children enter certified nurseries, 2,633 children have been put on the waiting lists.

A 32-year-old woman, who is on child-rearing leave, signed the petition and said, “More child-care centers with national standards should be built in order to secure proper child-care services for parents working full-time.”

In Suginami Ward, a symposium on an issue related to the shortage of approved child-care facilities took place with 80 people attending.

Stating, “It is unacceptable that parents still have difficulty in realizing their demand to balance work and childrearing,” journalist Inokuma Hiroko stressed that certified nurseries meeting national requirements are essential for children’s safety. She said that parents should further voice their demands.


Related past articles:
> Another actin for more child-care centres in Tokyo [March 8, 2013]
> Mothers push mayor to provide daycare services to more children [February 23, 25 & 26, 2013]
> Mothers take action to demand increase in child-care centres [February 13, 2013]