Wait-listed children decreased to nearly half of last year, the lowest ever Impact of new corona, etc.

As of April this year, the number of "waiting-list children" waiting for vacancies at nursery schools decreased to about 2,900 nationwide, nearly half of last year's figure, the lowest number since the survey began.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says that the reasons for this are the expansion of childcare facilities and the fact that many parents have refrained from using it due to the influence of the new corona.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, as of April this year, there were 2,944 children nationwide waiting for vacancies such as nursery schools.

Compared to last year, the number decreased by 2,690, nearly half, and was the lowest since 1994, when the survey began.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the number of children on waiting lists has decreased from the previous year.

By prefecture,

Okinawa had the highest number of cases with 439,

followed by Hyogo with 311 and

Tokyo with 300.

On the other hand, 14 prefectures, Aomori, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Yamanashi, Gifu, Tottori, Shimane, Tokushima, Nagasaki, Oita, and Miyazaki, did not have children on waiting lists.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare , the factors

include the expansion of childcare services

, the decrease in the number of children,

refraining from using due to the influence of the new corona, and

the increase in telecommuting.

However, the employment rate of women between the ages of 25 and 44 is on the rise, and the proportion of dual-income households is also increasing. It is our policy to take measures while grasping the needs.

On the other hand, depending on the region, there are some nursery schools that are "less than the capacity", and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is regularizing children who are not allowed to enter nursery schools due to the work situation of their guardians at facilities with vacancies. We are considering a system that can provide a variety of childcare services according to the characteristics of the region, such as taking care of children on a regular basis.