This page contains information about nursery schools and similar (see note) approved/certified by the City of Hiroshima, such as how to apply and how much they cost.
Note: For a list of applicable nursery schools and similar, please see the List of Nursery Schools (and similar) (as of April 1, 2022) file at the bottom of the page.
Those currently enrolled in nursery schools do NOT need to apply for the next fiscal year; enrollment will automatically continue.
Those with changes in the need for nursery school enrollment or who wish to change nursery schools should complete the necessary procedures.
Application Form Posting Period
- Begins November 24, 2022 (Thurs)
- Where to find applications: Ward Office Welfare Divisions, Ward Branch Offices, nursery schools, etc.
- Forms will also be uploaded to the Download section below on this day.
Primary Application Period for April 2023
From November 24, 2022 (Thurs) to January 10, 2023 (Tues)
Secondary Application Period for April 2023
Until February 27, 2023 (Mon)
Application Periods from May 2023 Onward
Table of Contents
- What are nursery schools (and similar)?
- Who can use nursery schools?
- Qualification applications and childcare hours
- About the application process
- Contracts and payment of nursery school/meal fees
- General information for using nursery school (and similar) services
- When changes occur in the contents of your application form
- About nursery school/meal fees
- Directory
Nursery schools (and similar) (see note) as referred to on this page mean the following facilities approved by the City of Hiroshima which care for children in the place of their parents/guardians who cannot look after them at home for any number of reasons. Nursery school fees are the same for every school; however, as lunch fees vary depending on the facility, we ask that you please contact them directly for details.
Facility
|
Eligible Ages
|
Details
|
Operated by
|
Nursery School
|
0-
Pre- elementary school
|
Facilities with capacities of 20 or over
|
The City of Hiroshima, private sector
|
Certified Child Care Center (Nursery School Division)
|
Facilities with both kindergarten and nursery school functions; supports raising children in the community
|
Small Scale Child Care Centers
|
0-2
|
Facilities with smaller capacities (6-19 children)
|
Private sector
|
Office/Business Child Care Centers
|
A child care facility created by businesses for their employees which also includes a community enrollment spot for children in the community
|
Note: For a list of applicable nursery schools (etc), please see the List of Nursery Schools (Etc) file at the bottom of the page.
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Children aged under 12 months to pre-elementary school who live in Hiroshima City (must have a resident record; see Note 1) whose parents/guardians fulfil any of the following reasons for needing child care and for whom it is difficult to look after their children at home (in cases in which child care is necessary) may use nursery school facilities.
Reasons for Needing Child Care
- Those working 30 hours or more per month (employed, self-employed, etc) (see Note 2)
- Those pre-/post-childbirth
- Those who are ill, injured, or have a physical/psychological disability
- Those who have a family member who requires constant care
- Those who are performing recovery work for earthquakes, wind/water damage, fires, and other natural disasters
- Those seeking employment (see Note 3)
- Those receiving an education
- There is a risk of abuse or DV
- Those who already have a child enrolled in child care services when they applied for parental leave and require continued enrollment (see Note 4)
- Note 1: Even if you do not currently reside in Hiroshima City (do not have a resident record), you can still apply for nursery school enrollment if you are planning to move by the first day of school (once you have been approved for enrollment, you MUST have finished moving by the first day).
- Note 2: Beginning April 1, 2025, the minimum number of working hours will be 48 hours or more per month.
- Note 3: The period of child care for those seeking employment is until the last day of the third month since the day that child care services began. For those seeking employment after giving birth, if you intend to seek employment after the last day of the month during which eight weeks will have passed since giving birth, that period shall be treated as an extension of child care services and you must complete the necessary procedures at the Ward Welfare Division of the ward which the nursery school belongs to.
- Note 4: The longest possible continued enrollment period during parental leave is until the last day of the fiscal year during which the day of the child’s first birthday occurs. However, if the child will be enrolled on the April 1 that follows the day before the child’s first birthday, then continued enrollment will be permitted only for those who are on parental leave until April 14.
Additional Note
When parents/guardians return to employment after parental leave OR begin new employment, it is possible to use child care services two weeks in advance of their work start date; please consult with the Ward Welfare Division of the ward which your desired nursery school belongs to.
Children with physical/psychological disabilities who are able to adjust to community settings such as nursery schools (etc) may also enroll; please consult with your Ward Welfare Division.
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To use nursery school (and similiar) services, you need both the Child Education/Care Services Qualification Application and Enrollment Application, both of which must be submitted at the same time as a general rule. Qualifications are categorized into three classifications depending on the situation of the parent/guardian vis-à-vis the necessity for child care. The child care facilities available to you differ depending on your classification (children in Class 2 or 3 can make use of nursery schools (etc)).
Qualification classification
|
Eligible ages
|
Necessity of child care
|
Facilities available for use
|
Class 1
|
3-5
|
Unnecessary
|
Kindergarten, Certified Child Care Center (Kindergarten Division)
|
Class 2
|
3-5
|
Necessary
|
Nursery school, Certified Child Care Center (Nursery School Division)
|
Class 3
|
0-2
|
Necessary
|
Nursery school, Certified Child Care Center (Nursery School Division), Small Scale Child Care Centers, Office/Business Child Care Centers (community enrollment spot)
|
Depending on your reason for requiring child care, the amount of child care you can receive (how many hours) is classified into the following two classes:
Classes (see Notes 1 and 2)
|
Hours of Childcare (Max)
|
Conditions (for Parents/Guardians)
|
Standard Childcare Hours
|
11 hours/day
|
- In principle, those working, caring for a family member, or receiving an education for 120 hours or more per month
- Pregnancy/birth, illness/disability, recovery from natural disaster, risk of abuse/DV
|
Shortened Childcare Hours
|
8 hours/day
|
- In principle, those working, caring for a family member, or receiving an education for less than 120 hours per month
- Seeking employment, continued enrollment during parental leave
|
- Note 1: Even if you are classified as Standard Childcare Hours, you can ask to be classified as Shortened Childcare Hours. If either the mother or the father is classified as Shortened Childcare Hours, then that shall be your classification.
- Note 2: Households with children who are already enrolled in nursery schools (etc) by the end of March 2015 and are continuing enrollment after April 2015 may request Standard Childcare Hours regardless of the conditions above.
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(1) Admissions consultation and application forms
- Consultations regarding enrollment and fees are held at the Ward Welfare Division of the nursery school (etc) you would like to enroll your child in
- Be aware that Ward Division offices will be closed on weekends (excluding weekend reception), national holidays, August 6, and 12/29-1/3
- As a general rule, before applying, you should visit the nursery school to confirm that, should you be accepted, you are able to commute there (what their conditions are, if pick-up/drop-off is possible, etc). Please inquire at the nursery school (etc) directly regarding school visits.
- The period of validity for submitted certificates such as Certificates of Employment is from the first day of the month three months before the submission deadline (e.g., if submitting for April 2023, the submission deadline is January 2023, which means that you would need a certificate dated from or after October 1).
Application Forms
- The application form and other necessary documents (to be attached to the application form) are available at nursery schools (etc), as well as Ward Welfare Divisions and Ward Branch Offices.
- Of the documents to be attached to the application form and other necessary documents, you can download the Certificate of Employment, Declaration of Employment, Declaration of Employment Seeking from the Download section below.
(2) Enrollment Application
- Submit your application form and other necessary documents to the Ward Welfare Division of the nursery school you wish to enroll your child in.
- The submission deadlines can be found on the Qualification/Enrollment Applications Submission Period listed in (5).
- For information about regular and extended childcare hours, weekend/national holiday childcare, additional fees (e.g., fees that cover the costs which go above set funds, such as extra teachers who exceed fund standards or facility maintenance which exceeds the average costs), actual costs (e.g., uniform costs, field trip costs, school event participation costs, etc), please inquire at each school directly.
(3) Qualifications
- The Director of the Ward Welfare Office will go through the child education/care services qualification applications and issue qualification certificates (will be issued before/at the same time as your Usage Adjustment results).
(4) Usage Adjustment
- Looking at factors such as parent/guardian preferences and admissions capacity at nursery schools (etc), the Director of the Ward Welfare Office will conduct adjustments of school usage. Should there be more who would like to enroll than there are spaces, enrollment will be judged not on a first come, first serve basis, but on a basis of degree of childcare necessity. For more details, please see the Standards for Usage Adjustment Table in the Download section below.
- Usage Adjustment results will be sent on the Usage Adjustment Results Mailing Day listed in (5).
Submission deadlines vary depending on the month you wish to enroll.
Month of Enrollment
|
Qualification/Enrollment Applications Submission Period
|
Usage Adjustment Results Mailing Day
|
Notes
|
Until December 2022
|
By the 10th of the month prior to the month you wish to enroll (If that day falls on a weekend or national holidays, then the first working day after the 10th)
|
Around the 20th of the month prior to the month you wish to enroll
|
If you wish to enroll in November 2022, you must apply by October 11, 2022 (Tues). If you wish to enroll in December 2022, you must apply by November 10, 2022 (Thurs).
|
January 2023
|
By December 12, 2022 (Mon)
|
December 20, 2022 (Tues)
|
|
February 2023
|
By January 10, 2022 (Tues) (see Note 1)
|
January 20, 2023 (Fri)
|
If you are placed on an enrollment waiting list, usage adjustment for March and April will be carried out based on the information listed on your application.
|
March 2023
|
January 31, 2023 (Tues)
|
If you are placed on an enrollment waiting list, usage adjustment will be carried out for April based on the information listed on your application.
|
April 2023
(Primary Application Period)
|
February 15, 2023 (Wed)
|
If you are placed on an enrollment waiting list after the primary application period, you can change your desired nursery school based on openings at other nursery schools and apply during the secondary application period.
|
April 2023
(Secondary Application Period
(see Note 2))
|
February 20 (Mon) – February 27, 2023 (Mon) (see Note 3)
|
March 9, 2023 (Thurs)
|
If you are placed on an enrollment waiting list for the secondary application period as well, you will not receive a second Waiting List Notification.
|
May 2023
onward
|
The 10th of the month prior to the month you wish to enroll (If that day falls on a weekend or national holidays, then the first working day after the 10th)
|
Around the 20th of the month prior to the month you wish to enroll
|
|
- Note 1: Reception hours are from 8:30 am to 5 pm; however, applications will be accepted in the evening/on weekends as follows:
・Evening Hours: 12/22/2022 (Thurs), 1/5/2023 (Thurs) until 8 pm
・Weekend Hours: 12/11/2022 (Sun) from 9:30 am to 4 pm
- Note 2: Those eligible to apply during the secondary application period are: those who have been put on enrollment waiting lists during the primary application period, those who could not apply in time for the primary application period, and those who did not apply during the primary application period only. (If you were able to get into the facility you applied for during the primary application period, you may not submit an application during the secondary application period.)
- Note 3: Application hours are from 8:30 am to 5 pm; however, applications will be accepted in the evening as follows:
・Evening Hours: 2/22/2023 (Wed) until 8 pm
(6) Enrollment Procedures and Beginning Enrollment
- If, as a result of your Usage Adjustment, you will enroll in a facility other than a nursery school (public/private) or Certified Child Care Center (public), you must complete enrollment procedures at the facility.
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With whom you sign contracts and to whom you pay nursery school/meal fees vary depending on the facility. However, nursery school fees will be determined based on standards set by the City regardless of facility.
For more information about nursery school/meal fees, see About Nursery School/Meal Fees below.
Facility
|
Childcare Fees
|
Extended Hours Childcare Fees
|
Meal Fees
|
Public nursery school, Certified Child Care Center (public)
|
City of Hiroshima
|
City of Hiroshima
|
City of Hiroshima
|
Private nursery school
|
City of Hiroshima
|
Facility
|
Facility
|
Certified Child Care Center (private), community childcare centers (Small Scale Child Care Centers, Office/Business Child Care Centers (community enrollment spot), etc)
|
Facility/Business
|
Facility/Business
|
Facility/Business
|
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Days closed, opening hours, meal services, etc, will vary depending on facility.
(1) Days closed, opening hours, and extended hours
- As a general rule, facilities will be closed on Sundays, days which the law has dictated to be national holidays, and 12/30-1/4. Other closures for emergencies such as natural disasters and epidemics will differ depending on facility.
- Opening hours vary depending on facility.
- Usage hours for those under Shortened Childcare Hours will be determined by each facility during regular hours.
- Facilities may offer extended childcare for the period before/after their regular hours.
- Please see the List of Nursery Schools (and Similar) (*) for more information.
*You can download this list or find them at your ward Welfare Division, branch office, nursery schools, etc.
(2) Meals (lunch, snacks)
- At nursery schools and Certified Child Care Centers, meals will be prepared at the facility based on a menu created by nutritionists (some Certified Child Care Centers receive meals from delivery services).
Children 0-2: Lunch (side dishes and rice), snack
Children 3 and above: Lunch (side dishes only; must bring rice or bread), snack
- Small Scale Child Care Centers, Office/Business Child Care Centers generally prepare meals on site; however, some receive meals from delivery services or may require children to bring lunch.
- For more details, please inquire at the facility directly.
(3) Other Important Notes
- Drop-off/pick-up is the responsibility of the parent/guardian; nursery schools (etc) do not provide this service as a general rule.
- Should your child become ill or injured, we ask that you come pick up your child during nursery school hours.
- Should you child become ill with an infectious disease, we ask that you keep them at home to prevent the spread to other children.
- Nursery schools divide the children into classes as a general rule. Depending on enrollment, classes are subject to change even in the middle of the year.
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- Should information on your Qualification Application (Enrollment Application) change due to taking parental leave, changing your job, or leaving your job, you must report it to your ward Welfare Division. When reporting a change, you may need to submit a notification of change and/or certificates or other paperwork depending on what information has changed.
- The period of childcare for those who will begin work (seeking employment) is until the last day of the third month since the day that child care services began. Those who are enrolled for the reason that they will begin working must submit a Certificate of Employment (available in the Download section below) as soon as possible when they begin their job.
*We may call or visit to confirm employment.
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For information, please see About Nursery School/Meal Fees (Japanese).
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Ward
|
Address
|
Telephone
|
Fax
|
Naka Ward
|
4-1-1 Ote-machi, Naka-ku
Inside the Naka Ward Community Welfare Center
|
082-504-2569
|
082-504-2175
|
Higashi Ward
|
9-34 Higashi-Kaniya-cho, Higashi-ku
Inside the Higashi Ward General Welfare Center
|
082-568-7733
|
082-568-7781
|
Minami Ward
|
1-4-46 Minami-machi, Minami-ku
Inside the Minami Ward Office Annex
|
082-250-4131
|
082-254-9184
|
Nishi Ward
|
2-24-1 Fukushima-cho, Nishi-ku
Inside the Nishi Ward Community Welfare Center
|
082-294-6342
|
082-294-6311
|
Asaminami Ward
|
1-38-13 Nakasu, Asaminami-ku
Inside the Asaminami Ward General Welfare Center
|
082-831-4945
|
082-870-2255
|
Asakita Ward
|
3-19-22 Kabe, Asakita-ku
Inside the Asakita Ward General Welfare Center
|
082-819-0605
|
082-819-0602
|
Aki Ward
|
3-2-16 Funakoshi-minami, Aki-ku
Aki Ward General Welfare Center
|
082-821-2813
|
082-821-2832
|
Saeki Ward
|
1-4-5 Kairoen, Saeki-ku
Inside the Saeki Ward Office Annex
|
082-943-9732
|
082-923-1611
|
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Related Information (Japanese)
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