Free early childhood education and care幼児教育・保育の無償化

Recognizing the importance of early childhood education in laying the foundation for character development, and as one of the measures to address the declining birthrate and reduce the burden of early childhood education, free childcare began in October 2019.

[Eligible Children]

○Children aged 3-5 (all households regardless of income)

○Children aged 0-2 from households exempt from municipal tax

 

[Eligible Facilities and Services]

The following facilities will be free of charge:

(1) Licensed childcare facilities (nursery schools, certified children's centers, kindergartens)

(2) Unlicensed childcare facilities, temporary childcare, sick child care facilities, Family Support Centers *There is an upper limit.

(For (2), prior application for "Facility Use Benefit Certification (certification of the need for childcare)" is required. Also, only facilities that have been confirmed and publicly announced by the city are eligible.)

[Please Note!]

.* Extended childcare, lunch fees, bus fees, and other actual expenses determined by the nursery school will continue to be the responsibility of the parents.

* The cost of supplementary meals, which was previously included in the childcare fee for children aged 3-5, will now be collected separately from the childcare fee.

* It may not be possible to use multiple services simultaneously.

[Overview and Procedures for Free Childcare]

This is a new certification system created as a result of the free childcare program. In order to be eligible for the free childcare program, you must meet one of the following "Reasons for needing childcare" and receive "Certification of the need for childcare" in advance.

 

[Reasons for needing childcare]

Employment (working 64 hours or more per month), pregnancy/childbirth, illness/disability of a parent, caregiving/nursing of a cohabiting relative, disaster recovery, job-seeking activities, schooling

[Required Documents for Application]

○ Application Form for Childcare Facility Use Benefits

○ Attached Documents (as listed below)

Please download the attached documents from here (opens in a new window).

Utilization benefit certification application forms (Japanese)

• Application Form for Childcare Facility Use Benefits (FY2024) (PDF format, 195.53KB)

• Application Form for Childcare Facility Use Benefits (FY2025) (PDF format, 199.57KB)

For those using daycare centers or certified children's centers (long-hour programs)

For details on free childcare, please see the link below:

Daycare center fees (opens in a new window)

For details on the free tuition program, please see the link below:

Kindergarten Tuition Fees (Opens in a new window)

This applies to those who have been certified as needing childcare and who use facilities that have been verified and publicly announced by the city.

 

-0-2 year olds: Only households exempt from resident tax are exempt from childcare fees up to 42,000 yen per month.

-3-5 year olds: Childcare fees are exempt up to 37,000 yen per month.

For information on the application procedure for certification of the need for childcare, please see the section on "Application Procedures for Facility Use Benefit Certification (Certification of Need for Childcare)."

Usage fees for unlicensed childcare facilities, temporary childcare services, sick child care services, and family support center services will be reimbursed (you will pay first, and then be reimbursed upon request).

 

Please be sure to check in advance whether the facility you will be using is eligible for free childcare and whether you have been certified as needing childcare.

 

For details on the procedure, please see the link below:

Billing procedure for unlicensed childcare facility usage fees under the free early childhood education and childcare program (Opens in a new window)

For details on the confirmation application, please see the link below:

 

Application for Confirmation of Unlicensed Childcare Facilities under the Free Early Childhood Education and Care Program [For Businesses] (Opens in a new window)