Opinions and Responses

After-School Childcare: Expansion of Accepted Number of Children & Allowing Applications While Job Hunting

I am the mother of a new first grader at Inagi Dai 1 Elementary School.

At the end of March this year, I received a job offer starting in May and applied for after-school care, but I was unable to enroll due to exceeding the capacity. Currently, there is a waiting list of 38 people, but I hope the number of accepted children can be increased. Also, I would like the application to be allowed even if the parent is currently seeking employment (for example, with conditions such as leaving if a job is not found within one month). At present, only single-parent households are eligible, but I hope it can be made available to non-single-parent households as well.

If I had been able to apply while job hunting on December 15th of the previous year, I believe my child, as a new first grader, would have been able to be admitted.

We are also considering the After-School Children's Program, but sometimes more than 40 children cram into one classroom, and it seems that almost no children use the program past 6 p.m. on a daily basis. Including the start time during long vacations (from 8:30 a.m.), I think it is a difficult environment for those working full-time in the city center to leave their children here.

In neighboring cities, there are private after-school care facilities that provide transportation from schools to the private after-school care centers, so even if children cannot enter the school-attached after-school care, there are alternatives available. However, there are none in the school district of Inagi Dai 1 Elementary School.

Response

The city implements the After-School Childcare Program, After-School Children's Program, and Children's Center as projects to create safe and secure places for children after school. The After-School Childcare Program is conducted using dedicated facilities or vacant classrooms in elementary schools, targeting children who cannot receive appropriate supervision after school due to reasons such as their parent or guardian's employment or illness.
Regarding the number of children accepted in the After-School Childcare Program you inquired about, the city coordinates the After-School Childcare Program and the After-School Children's Program to ensure the availability of acceptance capacity. Therefore, the number of children accepted in all After-School Childcare Programs within the city, including the Inagi Dai 1 Elementary School After-School Childcare Program, is managed based on changes in the number of children, user needs, securing of development rooms, and placement of after-school child support staff.
Next, regarding allowing applications for enrollment while job seeking, the After-School Childcare Program mainly targets children who cannot receive appropriate supervision after school. Therefore, job-seeking activities are conducted with consideration to the children's class hours and other factors. However, as a consideration for Single-Parent Families, applications during job seeking are accepted.

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