Even if the number of facilities offering day care services increases, households raising children will not feel reassured unless the quality of these facilities can be maintained. A necessary review of this system should be quickly undertaken.
Following a spate of problems at company-run day care centers, which private businesses have opened mainly to look after the children of their employees, an expert panel of the Cabinet Office has presented a draft outline of measures designed to improve the operation of such facilities.
The draft outline called for stricter requirements for new operators entering this field, and raising the standard for the numbers of qualified childcare workers to be allocated at these facilities. In response to a report the panel will soon compile, the government intends to implement these steps from next fiscal year. The panel's conclusions should be steadily put in place to boost the reliability of the day care system.
Company-run day care centers were introduced in fiscal 2016 as a trump card to eliminate the problem of children on waiting lists for child care facilities. Although these are unauthorized facilities, they can receive subsidies as licensed facilities do.
There are two types: in-house day care centers set up by a company, and a facility established by a day care operator but used by a company. They also can accept children who live in the area.
Because such facilities do not require certification from local governments, they can quickly be established and provide flexible services tailored to employees' work styles. About 2,600 such facilities with a combined capacity of about 60,000 children had opened by the end of fiscal 2017.
On the flip side, a striking number of operators were quick to enter the market with the aim of pocketing the subsidies, and a range of problems occurred, such as facilities suddenly closing and subsidy fraud. The laxity of the system's design is undeniable.
Better planning needed
The panel's draft outline calls for making it a requirement that operators have at least five years' business experience before they newly enter the industry. When deciding on the provision of subsidies, in addition to the conventional document screening, hearings and on-site inspections will be conducted when necessary.
These are reasonable steps that will prevent operators lacking expertise from entering the industry and ensure day care facilities operate stably.
On-site inspections of company-run facilities found that more than 70 percent had faults in their day care plans and elsewhere. Bolstering the guidance and supervisory system, and the consultation and support system, for these facilities is an urgent task.
The draft outline also proposed increasing the number of qualified care providers to be allocated at these facilities. At facilities day care operators run with capacities of 20 or more children, the proportion of qualified employees among all staff members will be increased from the current 50 percent or more to at least 75 percent.
All employees at certified day care facilities are, in principle, qualified childcare workers. Given that they receive generous subsidies, they must maintain a high quality of service.
One issue that must be addressed is promoting cooperation with city, town and village governments. Because these facilities can be established regardless of the development plans of local municipalities, some have popped up even in areas where no children are on waiting lists and many have failed to meet their quotas. There are notable discrepancies with actual demand. Rules should be drawn up regarding local government involvement in where facilities are established and operated.
It also is necessary to establish a system that matches companies that need day care with facilities that have spaces available.
Demand for day care services is expected to rise further from October, when the government is scheduled to make day care free of charge. Company-run day care centers must function effectively to cope with this.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 28, 2019)
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