Improving the Subsidy System of After-school Daycare
A Review of the Basic Subsidy Classification and the Establishment of
Additional Subsidies to Recognize Those Providing More Substantial Support

Yoshiyuki Kishi
President, Wa・Wa・Wa (General Incorporated Association)

Introduction

“After-school Daycare” is one of the daycare services to support children with disabilities stipulated in the Child Welfare Act.  It has been implemented for less than 10 years.  Contrary to the decline in the children’s population, the number of children who need special needs education is increasing rapidly, as well as the number of children who need some kind of support.  After-school daycare is the service that is often discussed in terms of the increase in the number of establishments, children accepted, and the accompanying financial burden.

Here, I would like to discuss the revision of the subsidies relative to after-school daycare from the perspective of a welfare establishment that provides such service.

Our Association

In September 2014, our association launched “Soiru Ogori,” a multifunctional daycare facility to support children with disabilities, providing child development support and after-school daycare (capacity: 10).  Since the number of children who need to use this facility has grown, we have increased the capacity to 20 (10 children x 2 units) since April 2021.  Currently, we are operating the facility with 11 staff members (2 child development support supervisors, 4 nursery teachers, 2 occupational therapists, 2 children’s social workers, 1 instructor: equivalent to 6.7 full-time employees).

We support not only children in need of assistance but also parents, families, and concerned parties with our expertise.  We would like ourselves to be considered as a familiar, welcoming, and approachable place (like an unchanged small-time candy store).

Major Subsidy Revisions

(1) Reconsideration of the Basic Subsidy Classification

In the 2021 revision of the subsidies, the Basic Subsidy Classification was abolished. 

In the last 2018 revision, child-related issues were included in the Basic Subsidy Classification.  The Basic Subsidy was divided into two categories according to the degree of the need for childcare and the behavioral evaluation.  The additional subsidy differed depending on the category.  Many welfare establishments were judged to be in “Category 2” with a low basic subsidy amount, which would continue for one year.  It was unpopular among the establishments as it did not meet their actual needs.  So, I think the reconsideration in the 2021 revision was appropriate.

Regarding the basic subsidy, as a result of the fact-finding research on the management conditions of establishments, the amount of the basic subsidy was reduced in the revision as it was found that the rate of return from after-school daycare was high.  Having questioned the figures in the research results, which were the grounds for the decision of the subsidy reduction, I think many people concerned may feel resentful due to the current situation of the increasing number of after-school daycare establishments and the variability of management styles.

(2) Improvement of the Subsidy System to Recognize the Support of Professionals

In the 2021 subsidy revision, the Additional Subsidy for Professional Support was newly established, and it is now possible to add one or more (equivalent to full time employees) therapists like occupational therapists and staff in charge of psychological guidance, regardless of the children’s condition.  We are pleased that the establishments, which have assigned professionals to provide high-quality support, are now recognized.  From now on, we can expect the promotion of more specialized and inter-professional team support.

However, unlike medical institutions that provide one-on-one medical support, it is necessary for after-school daycare facilities to clearly establish how the assistance by professionals should be given to each and every child, based on their essential role as stipulated in the Child Welfare Act.

(3) Establishment of Additional Subsidy for Individual Support

In the 2021 revision of the subsidies, the Basic Subsidy Classification was abolished, but a new “Additional Subsidy for Individual Support (I)” has been created to recognize support for children needing a high degree of assistance.  The survey items in the Basic Subsidy Classification are used as the criteria, but it can be highly assessed that there are newly added points and efforts made to reduce arbitrary judgments by the survey staff of the municipalities.  However, in reality, I do not think the current means of arriving at a judgment by municipalities has changed much.

It is now possible to apply for the “Additional Subsidy for Individual Support (I)” for each child needing support, and I think that it has become the mechanism compensating for the cost of staff members assigned to children who, out of necessity, need human support .

The “Additional Subsidy for Individual Support (II)” was further created to support children in need of special protection and support.  It acts as a safety net, yet not all individual support is automatically covered by this additional subsidy.  We have to check with the municipalities for each case.  When we inquired about the six (6) children using our services who were considered as needing special protection or support, only two (2) of them were qualified for this Additional Subsidy.  These two are the children the city is currently involved in.  It is still difficult to obtain this subsidy due to various reasons, such as parental consent being required to apply for this subsidy etc.  It has become clear that this subsidy is not intended to recognize preventive measures.

(4) Review of Employee Requirements for Improved Quality of Support

In this revision, persons experienced in welfare services for persons with disabilities, who were treated like nursery teachers and children’s social workers, have been removed from staffing standards (with transitional measures).  Although there was no operational impact on our association, considering the current situation where there is a shortage of human resources such as nursery teachers, I think it is an urgent task for the entire sector to secure and develop childcare and child welfare professionals in the field of support for children with disabilities in the future.

In addition to daily caregiving and child-raising work, it is essential for staff members to have a comprehensive capability to respond to the significant changes in the children due to their growth and development, to promote understanding of parents, schools and other concerned organizations about the disabilities of the children, in addition to providing childcare support.  The Council of the Developmental Support Center, Japan (CDS-Japan) has been making consistent recommendations on appropriate job placements and human resource development based on practical research in the field since 2008, and I think the reality is gradually moving towards their vision.  In the field of developmental support, it is necessary to establish an improved system of human resource development and prepare opportunities for training.

(5) Change of Criteria for Evaluation of Family Support

The special additional subsidy for visitation support and the additional subsidy for partnership with families have been integrated into the latter—the additional subsidy for partnership with families—and applications are now accepted four times a month.  This change is effective for those who need regular home visits and continued intensive support, as an increasing number of families need support for childcare.  Furthermore, changes have been made to the additional subsidy for consultation in establishments, which is a type of family support, and it is now possible to apply even for support for groups of families.  At the peer gathering, parents can talk in a relaxed manner and listen to the experiences of senior parents, which is very helpful.  You can feel free to ask questions which are difficult to ask at school meetings.  From now on, I hope that the staff will intervene more often and utilize group dynamics to resolve the issues raised by parents and provide a place of discernment.

Future Tasks

(1) Securing and Training Human Resources

Staff members need to have knowledge about the children and enthusiasm for their involvement, as well as knowledge about their disabilities with a high degree of awareness for their normalization.  I think that it is necessary to have a training course for the staff members who specialize in children with disabilities.  Furthermore, when it comes to child developmental support managers, they are in a good position to provide guidance and advice to the staff.  I think it is necessary to review and improve the training system.

(2) Consideration of After-school Measures for Children with Disabilities and Children in Need of Support

The creation of after-school daycare paved the way to the knowledge that children’s after-school programs have been neglected.  I think a discussion of the role of after-school children in raising school-age children should be done by focusing on the children rather than from the perspective of financial burden.  That is why it is necessary to consider expanding the age range beyond what is stated in after-school measures, and also consider support for the children, their families, the growth and development of their siblings, parents’ employment and leisure time.