Where Can I find a Day Care Centre for My Child?
“I really want to work again, but all day care centres for children are full.” This is the dilemma that women face when they try to start work again after maternity breaks. “Isn’t it funny that day care centres are always full while the birth rate has been declining?” One young mom said.
Shortage of Day Care Centres for Children
The shortage of day care centres for children is a serious problem. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), approximately 17,000 children were waiting to enter day care centres in April 2007. In Tokyo, about 4,600 children are on the waiting list. It is worse for moms who get part-time jobs; they are treated as a lower priority than applicants who work full-time hours just because they are part-time workers.
Gap between Demand and Supply
The main reason for the shortage is that the creation of day care centres cannot catch up with the demand. The female labour population is on the increase every year, whereas the number of approved day care centres in 2007 was increased by only 0.7% from the previous year (Source: MHLW). Day care centres have experienced a chronic shortage that has not been resolved as yet.
Need for More Flexible Child Care Support
Demand is not only for the number of facilities, but also for flexibility of services. Overnight child care services may be necessary for busy female executives, and weekend services may be necessary for females who work weekend shifts. Meeting the demand for child care services is a must for the government in order to urgently support the female workforce. At the same time, companies could offer child care services for their employees and introduce this as a new service to support Japanese working moms. I am sure this would also be a great business opportunity for entrepreneurs.
August 01 2008 10:00 am | Life and Weekly Articles
Gayla Ishikawa on 06 Aug 2008 at 4:35 PM #
Well said. If the government is truly concerned about the declining birthrate, it seems they would do more to support working mothers.
In general, Japanese women are an untapped workforce. I have met many women who have completed college, worked for a short time, then became full time housewives and mothers. While this is a personal choice and can be very rewarding, I feel young Japanese women need to know there are more options available to them. I once asked a junior high third grade girl to tell me her dream. She answered, “I want to be a housewife.” I was shocked. As a teacher in America, I am certain I could have asked the same question to a hundred young female students and none of them would have given that answer. I feel most young women in Japan have no idea of the world available to them beyond high school or college. That’s why there are still so many young women lost to the “entertainment” industry. In my opinion, we need to empower and encourage Japanese women to fulfill their potential, and let them know they have worth and can have dreams beyond the social barriers around them.
Noriko on 07 Aug 2008 at 1:26 PM #
I agree that Japanese women are still an untapped workforce. Most women believe that there is only one choice available: housewife or career woman. That is not true any more.
The good news is more Japanese women want to work even after their maternity breaks. That’s why there is the shortage of day care centres.
I am not sure the fact about “there are so many young women lost to the entertainment industry” in Japan because I have not seen the statistics; I have not met many young women working in the industry, either. This could be a misconception created mainly by media. I believe we also need to let the media know how Japanese women have worth and can have dreams.
Gayla Ishikawa on 28 Aug 2008 at 2:23 AM #
Noriko, Thank you for replying to my comments. My opinions, not facts, were formed from my experience of living and working outside Tokyo in what is considered “inaka” where I have seen more than a few of my junior high students graduate and go on to jobs in hostess clubs and cabarets. In addition, my husband is a restaurant/bar/small business owner, so I have talked to many female customers who are in the mizushobai industry. I’ve heard from many of them that they can make good money working at these clubs. However, I don’t think you have to go to “inaka” to find a multitude of young women working in mizushobai. Just take the train or subway to Shinjuku or Ginza. I completely agree that the media needs to show women in a more postitive light and encourage women to explore options and follow their dreams.
Noriko on 28 Aug 2008 at 9:18 AM #
Hi Gayla,
I know there are females working in the mizushobai industry. I am not sure there are “many”, but there are such people in Japan and other countries.
Some people choose to be housewives because they want to be. I have a friend in the United States, who is American and a housewife. She dedicates her time for her family every day, and she enjoys it. Being a housewife is her choice, and I admire her.
The question is - are options really available for women to make their dreams come true? Unfortunately, there are a lot of issues that the society needs to solve. The shortage of the day care centres is one of them.
If many options are available for women, why not to explore?