Children who do not attend daycare can be left for up to 48 hours a month free of charge

A program that lets you leave children who do not attend a childcare facility by the hour, regardless of whether you work. Setagaya City adds its own allowance to the "Children's Daycare-for-All program" that started nationwide in April 2026. It adds the city's 38 hours to the nationwide 10 hours a month set by the national government, so city residents using facilities in the city can use up to 48 hours a month. When city residents use facilities in the city, it is free, paid by the city. People living outside the city using facilities in the city pay ¥300 per hour. When city residents use facilities outside the city, the rules of that facility and municipality apply. Actual costs needed for care, such as diapers, are not covered. It covers children from 6 months of age to the age of the 2-year-old class (the end of the fiscal year in which they turn 3) who are not enrolled in licensed daycare, community-based childcare, a certified center for early childhood education and care, a kindergarten or a company-led childcare facility. The ages accepted differ by type of facility. In the city, only "regular use," attending a specific facility on fixed days and times, is offered. The city has had children on waiting lists for 3 years in a row since FY2023, and because it uses vacant places and spaces after securing childcare capacity, places are limited. Places may run out partway through the year.