Family Support Center Project : Child’s Transportation and Childcare Services
The Family Support Center Project is a system where community members help each other raise children. Types of members include people who want to receive assistance (“requesting members”), and people who want to provide the assistance (“providing members”). The available assistance includes child’s transportation and temporary childcare. It is sometimes called “fami-sapo” which is a Japanese style abbreviation of family support..
Who Is Eligible to Receive the Family Support Service?
Parents of children between 6 months and 12 years of age, who live in the community or work there (*As applicable age of child varies depending on the community, check with your local government).
To receive the assistance, you are required to participate in the membership orientation meeting (about 2 hours). Check with your local government about the time and place of this event.
The family support center will connect the requesting members and the providing members.
Who Is Eligible to Provide the Assistance?
Residents in the community who have a good understanding about child-rearing and are able to take care of the child responsibly are eligible to become providing members. The providing members are required to take the provided training upon member registration (7 days training).
When Can You Receive the Assistance?
Child care:
-Before and after preschool hours
-After elementary school hours or after after-school childcare hours
-Illness or emergency of parents/guardian
-Ceremonial occasions or school events of your other child
-Parents/guardian going out for shopping, etc.
Child’s transportation:
-Transportation to and from childcare facility
-Transportation to and from afterschool club
-Transportation to and from child’s lessons
How Much Does It Cost?
The cost of receiving assistance is approximately 500 to 1,000 yen per hour, although it varies depending on the day of the week and the time of day. The members requesting to receive the assistance are required to pay the actual transportation expenses for pick-up and drop-off.
How Do You Use the Service?
If you wish to use the service, you need to register as a requesting member and receive the training. After that, you will have a meeting with the providing member who was introduced to you by the family support center. Apply to the family support center for the assistance with information such as date and type of assistance. The support center will then contact the providing member to request assistance. The receiving members will pay the applicable fee to the providing member after the assistance service is completed.
Use this family support service if there is no one nearby to ask for child care help. Some communities have only a few providing members. Check with your local government if you are considering using the service.