Hello Everyone! Today was my daughter's first day of nursery school (Hoikuen) here in Japan, so I think it's finally appropriate to start sharing what I've learned about the Japanese daycare system so far! Daycare has become such a hot topic as working mother's increase here in Japan. Therefore, waitlists are often long, and families need to research and prepare well in advance for a spot! This post will cover the different types of daycare facilities and how to get started!
LICENSED NURSERY SCHOOL / DAYCARE 認可保育園
A licensed daycare or nursery school (Ninka Hoikuen) is one that meets and follows the standards set forth by the Child Welfare Act and is approved by the government. In licensed nursery schools, the teacher/child ratio, facility size, equipment, hygiene management, etc. are all determined according to the law. Japanese licensed childcare facilities are also operated by the government and/or receive operating expenses from the government. Applicants who are able to successfully enroll in the facility are determined by the local government and the criteria is based on a childcare need score.
UNLICENSED NURSERY SCHOOL / DAYCARE 認可外保育園（無認可保育園）
Unlicensed nursery schools (Muninka /Ninka Gai Hoikuen) do not meet the standards set forth by the national government. However, most of them meet the standards set forth by the governor on a prefectural (state) level. For example, there are special "certified nursery schools" in Tokyo, which are unlicensed, but have met the approval standards in Tokyo. In addition, unlicensed nursery schools are usually created by companies, and the staff are usually also unlicensed. Unlicensed nursery schools can set their own tuition rate and service content, such as focusing on specific educational philosophies. So, even if an unlicensed nursery school can qualify to be licensed, they may be disqualified based on their pedagogy.
ADVANTAGES OF A LICENSED NURSERY SCHOOL
Since licensed nursery schools are held to a strict standard from the government in regards to things such as facility size, staff/child ratio, etc., you can expect a stable environment. The turn-over rate in licensed nursery schools are often lower than that of unlicensed nursery schools. While unlicensed nursery schools may operate closer to the station or urban core, they often lack outdoor space or adequate indoor space, but licensed nursery schools all require an outdoor play space and their rooms must be a certain size specification. Also, you can expect lower childcare fees due to the facility being subsidized the government. Unlicensed nursery school often have higher childcare fees to be able to operate within a margin, and also the schools may focus on a specialized area of expertise.
ADVANTAGES OF AN UNLICENSED NURSERY SCHOOL
Many parents reading this may think that unlicensed nursery schools might be dangerous, but that's not the case! Many childcare facilities choose to be unlicensed so that they can create an ideal educational environment and bring out the unique qualities of the children and facility. Also, unlike licensed nursery schools, applicants can apply directly to the nursery school of their choice. When applying to a licensed nursery school, applicants can only create a list of nursery school's they would like to enroll in (It is essentially a lottery). Also, if both parents are working, an unlicensed nursery school may be a better choice as well because they often have before and after childcare for parents who may need to work late or earlier. Some unlicensed nursery schools also provide childcare outside of the standard 11 hours that licensed nursery schools operate, and some even operate on holidays.
WHICH PATH SHOULD I CHOOSE?
Ultimately, you should choose the best option for your family. As for us, we chose to go the public licensed nursery school route. There were several factors that helped us come to that decision. One, we liked that licensed nursery schools are held to a higher standard and that we can expect a certain level of quality no matter where she gets in. Also, even though it's really hard to get in due to a lengthy application process and an overwhelming need for childcare, once you get into the licensed daycare system, it's easy to bounce around or get additional children in.
Although, in the future, we may go the private kindergarten route, as for nursery school, we were not concerned with academics or specialized curriculums at 6 months. We just want her to play and learn etiquette. So, while unlicensed daycares often told us about their amazing music lessons or English curriculum, it just wasn't what we were looking for at the moment.
Finally, due to the Corona Virus, we knew we had a better chance at getting into a licensed facility this year than we might in a year or two. Due to the licensed facility enrollment being point (lottery) based, we knew we didn't stand a chance competing with other families (single mothers, low income, families with multiple children, etc.) in normal circumstances, but due to the pandemic, many families are choosing to keep their small children home.
Finally, if we were rejected from licensed daycare, unlicensed daycares often have rolling enrollment, and we could tour and apply anytime. So, unlicensed was our plan b after finishing my maternity leave.
SO WHEN SHOULD I START LOOKING?
Once you've done your research on the type of facility you are looking for, you should start looking IMMEDIATELY. My husband and I started looking about three months before I even had the baby! You want to start looking at least one year before you would like your child to start. Why one year?
One, you should tour as many facilities as possible. This takes time, especially now with the pandemic. You'll have to schedule a tour (So, you have to work around their availability) and then only one parent might be able to go (So, you may want to schedule two tours (one for each parent). Often times, tours last an hour or more (explanation of the facility plus physical tour and question/answer session), and if you are pregnant, it's just not realistic to think you can visit 3-5 nursery schools in a day. So, basically, we were able to tour one facility a week. In Yokohama, we can select up to 8 candidates on our application, so we wanted to look at more than 8 facilities.
Two, you should tour both licensed and unlicensed nursery schools. Don't wait until you are rejected to check out the alternatives! Most unlicensed nursery schools know that they will be a Plan B to those who get rejected from licensed nursery schools, so they also have become strict with admission. Tour both well in advanced so that you have a better idea of what will happen if you are rejected.
Three, the application process is lengthy for licensed daycares. Since you are basically applying to a government facility, you know it's going to be bureaucratic as He**. I needed to get several documents filled out from my job (so, if you have an unorganized workplace, you want to get those document in as soon as possible.), and we needed tons of copies and information as well. There were also special little instructions and basically you just need to go through it with a fine tooth comb and also triple check it before you send it off.
Four, the application period is only month. The government will release the application on their website, and you only have a month to get everything gathered, filled out, and sent off! A month seems like a long time, but it's not if you are waiting for HR to fill out your papers and you still need to tour facilities. Also, our situation was a little unique in that, the application opened in November but I had just had my baby in September, so we had the stress of filling out the application with a newborn! Talk about sleep deprivation and irritability. Fortunately, we had done all the touring and legwork BEFORE the baby was born.
Five, the entire process is in Japanese (Duh!). So, if you need to hire a translator or get help, it's going to take way longer to complete the application and go to tours/information sessions. So, definitely start early!
And finally, it's easier to get into the daycare at the start of the fiscal year/school year, which is April. So, in my case, it would be easier for me to get her into the daycare at 6 months (April), than it would be when my childcare leave was up in September (1 year). It's much harder to enter mid-year and most of the slots are leftover slots (goodbye your first choice!)
You can check out waitlist and updates on your City's office's website!
OUR TIMELINE
July, August, September, October - begin research and nursery school tours
November - fill out and send off the nursery school application before the deadline
December - Wait
January - Results were released at the end of January
February - If rejected, apply to unlicensed facilities
March - Nursery school orientation and signing of the contract
April - Begin school!
I hope that this article was helpful to you! My next article will be all about daycare costs! So, stay tuned!
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