Did you know parents in Japan can receive a subsidy from the government to help pay for childcare? It's true! Families must meet a few requirements to be eligible but the extra money can be a huge help in defraying daycare and babysitter costs.

 

Your children should be between 3 and 5 years of age. Additional specifics for qualifying will differ between wards. Once you are registered, you can receive up to 37,000 per month to reimburse for childcare expenses incurred through a non-licensed childcare facility (a lot of words that essentially mean any childcare obtained outside of a daycare or kindergarten. For example, the freelance babysitters in the CareFinder community who are registered with the program, qualify here. More on that below!).

 

The subsidy can be used for registered babysitters, at kindergarten/daycare facilities, and toward support services for special needs children. For a babysitter to qualify for the program, they need to be registered with their local ward office.

 

CareFinder is assisting interested babysitters with registration on an ongoing basis; sitters who have already registered have an easy-to-understand badge on their profiles. If you are currently working with a sitter who is not registered, and you'd like to take advantage of the subsidy program, let us know! We can help your favorite babysitters gain eligibility.

 

CareFinder can help. Because the registration details will differ from ward-to-ward, we won't be able to assist with the process directly. However, we can provide some helpful tips in how to navigate! Additionally, if you have any questions or are hitting snags in the process, you can always reach out to our team for help.