How to Choose After-School Care and a Place to Be After School — From the "First-Grade Wall" and Research Findings

Why this topic is on parents’ minds

From fall to winter of the last year of kindergarten or daycare, alongside preparing for school, worries about “what to do after school” start to rise. For dual-income families, daycare could look after children until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., but elementary school is not like that.

• Right after entering school in April, there are days without school lunch when children come home at midday
• In the first few weeks, first graders go home in groups and have shortened classes, so the after-school time is very long
• During long breaks such as summer, winter, and spring vacations, children spend the whole day at after-school care
• If a child cannot get into public after-school care, returning to work or continuing to work itself is shaken
• Private after-school care typically costs ¥30,000 to ¥70,000 a month, a large impact on the household budget
• And above all, you wonder whether “every day spent at after-school care” is a happy one for the child

This is the so-called “first-grade wall” (shō-ichi no kabe). Information is divided by region, making the overall picture hard to see, and it is a topic on which each family finds it hard to decide. Here, we organize the facts of the system and findings from education research on after-school programs, to give you material to think about as a family.

First, sorting out the system — the many options for after school

Although we say “after-school care” as one thing, there are actually several systems and forms of operation. To check “what is available in our area,” let’s sort out the whole picture once.

What to keep in mind here is the existence of a policy framework, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology / Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2018)the “New Comprehensive After-School Plan for Children” (formulated in 2018). This is a joint plan of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (now the Children and Families Agency) whose aim is to develop “after-school children’s clubs (gakudō)” and “after-school children’s classes” together and in coordination, providing all children with a safe and secure place to be after school. It set a goal of developing capacity for about 300,000 more children in after-school care by the end of FY2023.

However, this goal varies greatly by region, and Children and Families Agency (2024)the “Implementation Status of After-School Children’s Clubs, 2024” states that against about 1.51 million registered children, about 18,000 children were on waiting lists (children who wanted to use it but could not get in). In cities and areas with growing populations, applications still cannot be met.

What is the difference between public and private after-school care?

Sorting this out clearly makes the options easier to see.

• Public after-school care (publicly established and publicly run, or publicly established and privately run): as a program under the Child Welfare Act, minimum standards for facilities and operation are set by a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ordinance (roughly 1.65 m² or more per child, roughly 40 children or fewer, at least 2 after-school child support workers, etc.). Costs are a few thousand yen to the ¥10,000 range a month, with reductions and exemptions based on income. It is basically a simple place of daily life with “free play, homework, and snacks,” and entry requires meeting conditions such as both parents working, and applying.
• Private after-school care: run as unlicensed services, many combine distinctive programs such as English, programming, and sports. They respond flexibly to how dual-income families work, with pickup services, dinner, and extensions until 10:00 p.m., but costs of about ¥30,000 to ¥70,000 a month are typical. There is no dual-income requirement, and in principle anyone who wants to can apply.

“Which is better, public or private after-school care?” cannot be decided uniformly. The best answer changes depending on how your family works, your financial situation, your child’s temperament, and local supply.

What does the research say?

Here is the other core of this article. “Is spending time at after-school care good for children?” “Does it mean anything just to leave them there?”—on questions like these, the world of after-school program research has produced fairly settled findings.

Question 1: Are after-school programs good for children’s development?

One of the most cited studies of after-school programs in the world is the meta-analysis by Durlak and colleagues.

reports the following results on the overall effects of after-school programs.

• Children who took part showed significant improvement in each area of self-perception, bonding to school, positive social behavior, and academic achievement (effect sizes d=0.14 to 0.34, all p<0.05)
• Positive effects were also confirmed for reducing problem behavior and drug use
• However, effects were confirmed only for programs that met the “SAFE criteria”

The “SAFE criteria” here are four requirements for high-quality programs proposed by Durlak and colleagues.

• S = Sequenced: activities organized in order, step by step
• A = Active: a way of learning in which children participate actively
• F = Focused: focused on developing particular skills
• E = Explicit: the skills to be developed are made explicit

Put the other way, in programs that did not meet these requirements—programs that “just gather children and have them pass the time”—no effect on developmental outcomes was confirmed. This has a very important implication for choosing after-school care.

Question 2: How does the way children spend after school affect their development?

Another frequently referenced work is a review of organized after-school activities by Mahoney and colleagues at the University of Michigan.

points out the following.

• Participation in organized after-school activities was consistently associated with better academic achievement, bonding to school, and more prosocial behavior
• On the other hand, regarding the “over-scheduling hypothesis” that was a topic at the time—the concern that children are worn out by too many lessons and activities—looking at the reality of the average American child (under 5 hours a week), “over-scheduled children” were actually a minority, and the association between activity participation and psychological health was generally in a positive direction
• However, excessive cramming that squeezes family time and time for free play and rest can clearly be negative

In other words, the rough summary of research is that both extremes are undesirable: spending long hours after school “with no structure” and “filling it completely with plans.” Several studies suggest that “moderately structured activities that the child enjoys” are what best support children’s development.

Question 3: What determines the quality of after-school care?

Integrating Durlak and colleagues’ work and later research from the U.K. and the Nordic countries, the following are repeatedly named as elements that support the quality of after-school programs.

• The ratio of adults to children: the fewer children per support worker, the more individual engagement is possible
• The expertise and continuity of support workers: whether qualified adults can keep looking after the same children for a long time
• The balance between structured activities and freedom: not managing everything, and respecting time when children spend time on their own initiative
• Operation that cares for relationships among children: a system that can intervene early in bullying and trouble
• Coordination with families: daily communication that carefully tells parents how their child is doing

These are indicators of quality that show up in “the substance of how the facility is run,” whether it is public or private after-school care. The points to look at when visiting gather here.

Breaking down the “first-grade wall”

The “first-grade wall” tends to be talked about vaguely, but in reality it is a collection of several walls. Breaking it down makes it easier to plan responses.

Wall 1: Shortened classes and the period without school lunch right after entry

At many elementary schools, for 1 to 2 weeks after entry in April, there are days without school lunch, when children come home at midday. Many public after-school care programs open from the morning during this period, but children need to bring a lunch box. Many families adjust the timing of returning to work to match this “start of school lunch.”

Wall 2: The shortened-class period for first graders

For a while after entry, first graders go home in groups and have shortened classes, with days of only up to 5th period. Public after-school care responds to this, but in some areas a “gap” arises between the time school starts in the morning and the time after-school care opens, and how to fill it can become an issue.

Wall 3: Summer, winter, and spring vacations

Summer vacation in particular is about 40 days, spent all day at after-school care. Public after-school care generally opens from around 8:00 a.m. with children bringing a lunch box, while private after-school care often offers long hours with pickup and dinner. The quality of how summer vacation is spent is a point to pay special attention to when choosing after-school care.

Wall 4: The gap between after-school care closing time and commuting time

Most public after-school care is until 6:00 p.m., or around 7:00 p.m. with extension. Considering full-time work plus commuting, many families cannot make pickup on time. Many get through it with a combination of private after-school care (until 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.), Family Support, babysitters, and help from grandparents.

Wall 5: The possibility of not getting into after-school care

This is the waiting-list problem mentioned at the beginning. In some areas, children may not get in even when both parents work full-time. Check with your municipality, by fall of the last year of kindergarten or daycare, about the timing of applications, required documents, and how priority works.

Checkpoints for visiting to see the quality of after-school care

Whether public or private, checking the following when you visit makes it easier to see how a program is actually run.

• The number and qualifications of staff (after-school child support workers): the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ordinance requires at least 2 support workers for a group of roughly 40 children. When visiting, check how many adults there are relative to the number of children
• The adults’ expressions and communication: the atmosphere between support workers and children, and among support workers, says a lot about the quality of operation
• How children spend their time: whether everyone does the same thing, or whether there is time when children can choose how to spend it themselves
• Homework support: whether there is homework time, and whether children can get help when they don’t understand
• Snacks: homemade, store-bought, allergy-friendly, etc.
• Outdoor activities and time to move the body: whether chances to exercise are secured, such as the schoolyard, parks, or indoor exercise
• Handling bullying and trouble: how they intervene in trouble between children, and how they contact parents
• Operation during long breaks: how a day in summer vacation is spent, and whether there are special programs
• Communication with families: how they tell you about your child’s day—contact notebook, in person, app, etc.
• Options such as pickup and extensions: for private care, how well it fits how your family works

These are a checklist for seeing “the substance of operation,” rather than how the facility looks. If possible, visiting during after-school hours on a weekday shows you the reality best.

Timing of applications

It differs by area, but here is a rough guide.

• Spring to summer of the last year of kindergarten or daycare: research the after-school care options in your area, and check your municipality’s entry requirements
• Fall of the last year (September to October): the time when visits and applications for public after-school care start. Visits to private after-school care also start around this time
• Winter of the last year (November to February): application deadlines, notification of selection results
• Spring of the last year (March): entry decided, orientation, preparing necessary belongings
• April of 1st grade: entering school and after-school care, adjusting around the timing of shortened classes and the start of school lunch

Public after-school care has a limited application period, and in some areas, if you miss it, you have to wait until the next fiscal year. Gathering information early gives peace of mind.

Balancing with family life: realistic combinations

Many families run after-school time not with a single system, but by combining several systems.

• Public after-school care on weekdays, plus private after-school care only during summer vacation
• Private after-school care on weekdays, with help from grandparents on Saturdays and long breaks
• Public after-school care (until 6:00 p.m.) + pickup by a babysitter 2 days a week
• Public after-school care + lessons 1 to 2 days a week (swimming, English conversation, etc.)
• Public after-school care + Family Support to cover after 7:00 p.m.

Aiming for “everything covered perfectly by one system” narrows your options. The realistic approach is to break it down in detail—“what covers this time slot on weekdays”—and put it together to fit your family’s situation and your child’s stamina and personality.

Know the range of monthly fees for private after-school care

Let’s get a rough sense of the costs of private after-school care (they vary greatly by area and service content).

• Standard use (weekdays, 5 days a week, after school to 7:00 p.m.): about ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 a month
• With pickup, dinner, and extension until 10:00 p.m.: about ¥50,000 to ¥70,000 a month
• Types with rich distinctive programs such as English and programming: about ¥60,000 to ¥100,000 a month
• Coverage for long breaks such as summer and winter vacations: added separately (examples of about ¥50,000 to ¥100,000 for summer vacation)

In contrast, public after-school care is often ¥5,000 to the ¥10,000 range a month, and some municipalities have reductions and exemptions based on income. The difference in cost can be ¥300,000 to ¥600,000 a year, and ¥2,000,000 to ¥4,000,000 over 6 years. It is a point to consider in your household’s long-term planning: how much can you afford?

Closing dialogue