Fees for temporary childcare, Hot Stay and similar are free for all households (from April 2026)

From April 1, 2026, fees for temporarily leaving children who do not attend a childcare facility became free for all households. Household income and whether you have certification of need for childcare do not matter, and no application is needed before or after. You simply do not pay at the facility when you use it. Covered are temporary childcare at city-run daycare centers (use from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), temporary childcare at private daycare centers, certified centers for early childhood education and care and dedicated temporary childcare facilities (up to 8 hours a day), temporary childcare at daycare rooms (up to 8 hours a day), regular-use childcare, Hot Stay, Hot Stay at city-run daycare Odekake Hiroba, emergency childcare and similar. Care for any reason at Tokyo-certified daycare has a limit of 48 hours a month, and temporary childcare at company-led childcare facilities has a limit of ¥8,000 a day and ¥38,000 a month. On the other hand, year-end childcare, 24-hour temporary childcare, sick-child care and extended care for enrolled children at city-run and private kindergartens are not covered by this city program. For sick-child care, there is a separate exemption system for households receiving public assistance, households with an income-based resident tax amount of ¥0, and foster parent households. For the Family Support Center program, the fee is to be revised from ¥800 to ¥500 per hour from October 2026, and care for preschool children is planned to become free.