Japan Press Weekly

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2015 March 11 - 17 [POLITICS]

JCP Dietmembers’ Group gives suggestions for improvement in new child programs

The Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers’ Group on March 16 urgently offered suggestions to the Cabinet Office, the welfare ministry, and the education ministry to resolve the issue of many children waiting to be admitted to daycare centers as well as to improve working conditions of childcare workers, on the occasion of the implementation of a new child-support system in April.

The following are their suggestions:

- lease state-owned land free of charge to facility operators or subsidize the cost of land acquisition to increase the number of authorized daycare centers in order to eliminate the waiting lists for children to enter daycare facilities;

- increase wages and the number of childcare workers in order to drastically improve working conditions of caregivers, and make sure to give every worker proper training and paid holidays;

- reduce financial burdens instead of imposing another burden on parents associated with the implementation of the new child-support system, and waive or reduce childcare fees for families with many children; and

- provide support to ensure a proper environment to provide better childcare.

JCP member of the House of Representatives Umemura Saeko pointed out that one third of the applications for admission to daycare facilities have been turned down, and said, “The government should put in place a drastic improvement in care centers and in working conditions of care workers ahead of the implementation of the new system.”

JCP Takahashi Chizuko, House of Representatives, talked about a series of accidents causing children’s deaths at daycare facilities and said, “It is also necessary to create a mechanism to prevent such fatal accidents.”

Cabinet Office and welfare ministry officials in response said that the government is intending to provide subsidies to daycare centers for their rent if needed and for a salary increase.

Other JCP members of the House of Representatives who were present included Saito Kazuko, Hatano Kimie, Motomura Nobuko, Horiuchi Terufumi, Majima Shozo, Shimizu Tadashi, and Miyamoto Toru. Those of the House of Councilors present were Tamura Tomoko, Kira Yoshiko, and Kurabayashi Akiko.