Tokyo-certified daycare fees subsidized up to ¥80,000 a month

City residents who leave their children at a Tokyo-certified daycare (ninshō hoikusho) with a monthly contract of 48 hours or more receive a monthly subsidy toward the daycare fee. While licensed daycare fees became free from September 2025, Tokyo-certified daycare is a direct contract between each facility and the parents, so this subsidy is the main way to reduce the cost. The subsidy limit depends on the child's class age, the household's tax status, and whether you have certification of need for childcare. For the 0–2-year-old classes, ¥80,000 a month with certification and ¥52,000 a month without. For the 3–5-year-old classes, ¥77,000 a month with certification and ¥40,000 a month without; for the 3–5-year-old classes, up to ¥3,000 is added separately if there is a meal fee (food ingredients). If the total subsidy exceeds the monthly daycare fee, the monthly daycare fee is the subsidy. The conditions are: being registered as a resident of the city on the first day of the month; paying the monthly contract daycare fee without arrears; not receiving burden reduction subsidies for daycare rooms, home daycare (hoiku mama), unlicensed childcare facilities, company-led childcare facilities or regular-use childcare for the same period; and not being enrolled in licensed daycare or a kindergarten. Night-only use and temporary childcare are not covered. Certification of need for childcare is not a requirement, but with it the limit is higher. The certification period cannot be backdated, so complete the procedure before starting to use the facility. The final application deadline for FY2026 (use from April 2026 to March 2027) is April 12, 2027; after that, the burden reduction portion is entirely not covered.