Monthly fees at licensed daycare and similar are ¥0 from the first child (no income limit)
- Actual costs such as extended-hours fees and event costs still apply
From September 2025, monthly daycare fees at licensed daycare and similar in Shibuya City became ¥0 from the first child. All households using licensed daycare and similar are covered, regardless of income. Covered facilities are licensed daycare (ninka hoikuen), certified centers for early childhood education and care (No. 2 and No. 3 certification), small-scale childcare programs, home-visit childcare programs, long-hours care at integrated kindergarten-daycare facilities, and city-run daycare rooms. What becomes free is the monthly daycare fee; monthly extended-hours fees, spot extended-hours fees, and actual costs such as daily necessities, stationery and events continue to be paid by you. Because it is free from the first child, households that used to pay tens of thousands of yen a month depending on income see the biggest reduction, and it also affects the design of fee reductions for unlicensed childcare facilities.