Childbirth & Child-Rearing Guide
for Foreign Residents in Sendai

4-1 Kindergartens

Kindergarten, like elementary, middle, high school, and college, is a school as specified by the School Education Law, and the age group is from three years old to the age when the child enters elementary school. There are about 100 kindergartens within the city, and tuition is generally around ¥20,000 per month. Due to the needs of some parents, there are kindergartens that operate daycare outside of normal school hours and during summer vacation. Kindergartens sometimes have a tuition reduction system for cases where more than one child from a single household is enrolled in kindergarten/daycare at the same time. Applications for kindergartens are accepted every year from November for children who will start in April of the following year, so please apply to the kindergarten of your choice directly.

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4-2 Daycare Centers (Approved Daycare Centers)

Daycare centers are institutions that take care of children in place of the child’s parents when the parents are unable to care for the child at home due to work circumstances or illness. As such, daycare centers are not for the sole purpose of helping a child become accustomed to communal living. The intended age group is somewhat different depending on the daycare center, but is generally from four months old up to elementary school entrance age.

Application for Enrollment

Applications are accepted at any time by the ward office domestic health division of the ward with jurisdiction over the daycare center of the parent’s first choice, or the general city branch office public health welfare division. However, for those desiring enrollment starting on April 1 of each year, applications are determined on a separated schedule. The dates are reported annually in December (October for children with disabilities) in the Sendai City Administration Newsletter.

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4-3 Domestic Childcare Welfare Workers

Domestic childcare welfare workers (childcare moms) authorized by the city of Sendai are those who take care of the children of parents who due to work or illness are unable to care for their own child at home. They do so in a relaxed, familylike environment with few people, gently dealing with each child individually, working with their everyday rhythm, development process, and physical and mental state. The intended age group is from eight weeks to two years old (up until the end of the year when the child turns three), and the care hours are from around 7:30 am to 6 pm.

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4-4 Sendai Daycare Centers

Sendai Daycare Centers is a group of unlicensed daycare facilities aided by the city of Sendai. The city of Sendai sets independent standards for Sendai Daycare Centers with respect to the daycare environment, program, and staff workers that exceed national unlicensed day care facility standards, and certifies the fulfillment of those standards. The centers of Sendai Daycare Centers are divided into two types. Type A centers provide services in the commercial districts such as those near Sendai Station, and the services are nearly identical to those provided by licensed daycare centers. Type B centers also provide services conforming to those of licensed daycare centers, but on a relatively small scale. Sendai Daycare Centers provides services that respond to the parents’ and children’s needs while bringing out the special characteristics of each service type. If you would like to utilize Sendai Daycare Centers, please apply to the facility of your choice directly.

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4-5 Unlicensed Daycare Facilities

Unlicensed daycare facilities are private daycare facilities other than those approved by the city. Before using an unlicensed daycare facility, be sure to take a tour of the facility and review the daycare program in person rather than making a judgment solely based on its costs and outward appearance. If you would like to utilize an unlicensed daycare facility, please apply to the facility of your choice directly.

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4-6 Children’s Halls and Children’s Centers

Children’s Halls/Children’s Centers are facilities, about one in every elementary school district, provided with the objective of promoting children’s health and fostering a vibrant spirit through emphasis on “play.” Children are free to come and play with their friends. It is a place where those with infants and toddlers can play with their children, as well as meet and talk with other parents. Crafts and games, seasonal events, and many other planned events take place here. Each facility publishes a Children’s Hall Newsletter or Children’s Center Newsletter, which introduces its event schedule and how to participate.

Some Children’s Halls/Children’s Centers employ a club registration system, with a School Children Club for 1st-3rd grade elementary school students whose parents are unable to be at home during the day due to work, an Infants/Toddlers’ Club for infants and toddlers and their parents, and the District Childcare Support Club volunteer club.

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4-7 Temporary and Specified Care in Daycare Centers

Certain daycare centers offer care on a temporary basis for children whose parents are unable to look after their child due to a part-time job, illness, or ceremonial event (temporary care), and care for children whose parents are unable to look after their child for over 64 hours a month due to work or other circumstances (specified care). The intended age group is around 4 months old up to children who are about to enter elementary school. The fee for one day (7:30 am-6 pm) is ¥2,400 for children under 3 and ¥1,200 for children 3 or over, and the fee for a half a day is half price. For children of households receiving welfare aid or those with exemptions from city residence tax, the cost is free.

The daycare centers offering temporary and specified care are listed on the Sendai City homepage. Alternatively, you can make inquiries at your ward office domestic health division or general city branch office public health welfare division.

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4-8 Childcare for a Child with or Recovering from Illness

The facilities in the table below offer childcare during the day for children with or recovering from illness who have difficulties with group childcare and whose parents have difficulty looking after their child due to work circumstances. The child must live within Sendai City and be aged roughly between 6 months and 3rd grade elementary students. The fee is ¥2,000 for one day, not including meals, medical care, and transportation. The fee should be paid directly to the facility. For children of households receiving welfare aid or those with exemptions from city residence tax, the cost can be reduced based on petition. For cancellation, the facility must be notified by 8:30 am of the cancelled day or a ¥2,000 cancellation fee is incurred.

Registration at the facility to be used is required beforehand. You must fill out a “Childcare for a Child with or Recovering from Illness Registration Application” and submit it to the facility you wish to use. You must also attach a Family Doctor Contact Form obtained from your family doctor (regular doctor). Depending on your child’s illness, you may not be eligible for this childcare service. Each Family Doctor Contact Form obtained is only valid for seven days.

Note: Some facilities are closed over New Year’s. Please contact the facility for details.

Employees of Tohoku University may make use of the Tohoku University Hospital Post-Illness Childcare Center. For more information, please contact the center directly.

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4-9 Sendai Healthy Growth Support Project

The Sendai Sukusuku (“Healthy Growth”) Support Project is a project made up of those looking for someone to care for their child (user member) and those who are able to look after a child (support member). It is a paid volunteer project made up mainly of those in the local region where user members and support members form relationships of trust. The project also helps provide transport for children roughly 2 months old to 6th grade elementary students to and from daycare centers, kindergartens, and Children’s Halls. The city of Sendai acts as its administrative unit, holding responsibility for intermediary functions, allowing peace of mind. Member registration is free.

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4-10 Child-Raising Contact Plaza

The Child-Raising Contact Plaza is a facility that provides child-raising support for infants and their families. It is a “plaza” that is free to use, where parent and child can play together and where parents with infants can meet and talk with one another over a meal. The Infant Temporary Care service is for children from age 6 months to preschoolers, and costs ¥600 for the first hour and subsequently ¥300/30 min. In order to apply, you must be a registered member. Please contact the desired facility for additional information.

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4-11 Childcare Helper

This service dispatches childcare helpers to aid those who fall to poor health immediately after giving birth and have difficulty performing household functions and nursing of their baby.

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4-12 Volunteer Childcare

In cases such as sudden business, doctor visits, lessons, or when it is hard to be with your child, have you ever thought to yourself, “if only there was someone to help me out by looking after my child for a little while?” For times such as these, there is a childcare paid volunteer system in place by volunteer childcare groups. To find out more about which groups are participating, you can go to the Child-Raising Contact Plaza.

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