How do you make time for yourself? Places and services where you can leave your child in Yokohama
After the baby is safely delivered and discharged from the hospital, you may feel that you cannot take your eyes off your little one, and that there is no time to eat a hot meal or go to the restroom.
I myself remember that as soon as my child was born, I was at my wits' end trying to get through the day-to-day tasks of feeding the baby, changing diapers, doing paperwork, housework, etc., all of which suddenly became a part of my life with a newborn baby.
Not only during sudden weddings, funerals, and household chores, but sometimes you just want to let someone else take care of your child, take a breather with a hot cup of tea, or refresh yourself by styling your unkempt hair.
We would like to introduce some of the services and facilities that we have used in our own experience that we can rely on when we need adult help.
Short time child care that builds a relationship with person who looks after a child
When you want to leave your child with a child on a regular basis for any reason, or when you want your child to feel comfortable with a child who is very shy or place-shy, we recommend a place where you can pre-register your child and build a relationship where you can communicate with each other about how your child is doing.
Temporary childcare at nursery schools
There are three types of childcare services: "Atypical Childcare," which provides temporary care for reasons such as employment, job training, or nursing care; "Emergency Childcare," which provides emergency care for unavoidable reasons such as parental illness, hospitalization, or ceremonial occasions; and "Refresh Childcare," which reduces the burden on the parents. A total of up to 120 hours per month is available.
The program is open to preschool children who are not enrolled in a licensed daycare center, etc. Fees are capped, but vary from facility to facility. To use the service, you must use Yokohama City's web-based reservation system, select a facility, come to the facility, take a tour, and have an interview in advance.
Hours of operation and application procedures differ from facility to facility. In addition to temporary childcare services provided by licensed nursery schools, there are also temporary childcare services for infants and toddlers provided by unlicensed nursery schools. If you wish to find a place to leave your child in Yokohama City, you can consult with the Childcare and Education Concierge located at the Yokohama City Child and Family Support Division.
Oyato-kono-Tsudoino-Hiroba 親と子の集いのひろば: Parent and Child Gathering Plaza
In Yokohama City, there are "Regional Child Raising Support Centers" and "Parents and Children Gathering Plazas" in each ward as places for parents and children to meet. Some of the Parent-Child Gathering Spaces offer temporary childcare services for short periods of time.
Children can rest assured that they will be looked after by familiar staff in a place where they are accustomed to playing.
Since the number of children that can be left at a facility at one time is limited to two or three, the facilities are often fully booked. The application process and fees vary from facility to facility, so please check with your local "Parents and Children Gathering Plazas".
To know more details about "Regional Child Raising Support Centers" and "Parents and Children Gathering Plazas", see the article below.
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Yokohama Child Rearing Support System
The Child Rearing Support System is Yokohama City's own childcare system. People who wish to have their children taken care of register as "user members" and people who can take care of children register as "provider members. Through the coordinator at the office, they connect the user members and provider members who live in the same area.
Before leaving your child in the care of the center, the members, including the coordinator, meet each other and have a preliminary meeting. It is easier to consult with them if you are clear about what you want them to do at what time. The fee is 800-900 yen per hour and varies depending on the time and day of the week. If matched well, it is a good opportunity to get to know other senior mothers in the community.
Information sessions are held at regional childcare support centers in each ward, so please talk to us first.
Use the Co-op
Some co-ops that provide home delivery of foodstuffs and daily necessities, such as "Fukushi Club", "Seikatsu Club" and "Pal System", may offer childcare support for their members and mutual insurance subscribers, such as child care and matching with people in the community. If you are a member or considering joining a co-op, please check with them.
AsMama
It is a company that connects local people and businesses to create communities and support childcare and neighbors helping each other. In addition to holding events such as social gatherings, you can ask for childcare or lend or borrow things through the application.
##Short time child care for any reason for a consideration.
Asking someone in the community or someone you know can make you feel overly cautious. If you want to pay and hire a childcare professional to take care of your child, try to find a company that offers sitter services. By separating your feelings and treating them differently, you may also have the effect of reducing the guilt of wondering if you can leave your child with them for such a reason.
Temporary childcare service Mama's smile
t is a nationwide chain of daycare centers. In Yokohama City, there are two centers, one in Tressa Yokohama in Kohoku ward and the other in Viera Maita in Minami ward.
Register an account on the Internet in advance and make a reservation for the day and time you wish to use the center. If there is space available, you may be able to make a reservation even at the last minute. The age range is from 0 to 12 years old, and the child can be dropped off for one hour or in 30-minute increments.
The basic fee is 890 yen per hour per child and 445 yen per 30 minutes thereafter, with optional fees such as overtime and meal assistance. In addition, there is a monthly membership fee of 500 yen.
Matching sites, temporary sitters
Some well-known names you may have heard of include Poppins, Kidsline, and Mama Coco. You register in advance, narrow down your criteria, and negotiate with the person you want to leave your child with. Once you become familiar with the site, you will be able to arrange for someone to drop off your child on the same day. The conditions of use and the amount of money vary from service to service.
You need to determine if the sitter is trustworthy. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has published a list of 10 points to keep in mind when using babysitters, etc. Please refer to this list when deciding on a sitter.
Child care service attached to the facility
Some places offer child care services only while you are using their facilities, such as shopping or receiving treatment. Check before you go.
IKEA smaland
Some IKEA stores that carry Scandinavian-inspired furniture and goods have a kids' playroom called Småland. Children must be between 4 and 11 years old, and must be able to use the restroom on their own, but 60 minutes is free. In Yokohama, IKEA Kohoku is located in Tsuzuki ward.
Department stores
For example, Kids Square at Ginza Mitsukoshi, a day-care room at Seibu Ikebukuro, and a nursery room at Nihombashi Takashimaya are some of the services available to take care of children while shopping or dining at department stores. In Yokohama, there is a nursery room on the 8th floor of Sogo Yokohama Store. Reservations are required and the service is available for preschool children from 6 months to 6 years old.
Hotels
Some hotels are equipped with childcare facilities or offer babysitting services. Why not take advantage of this service when you want to attend a wedding, or spend time with your partner at dinner time on a special occasion such as a wedding anniversary?
Hospitals
At Keiyu Hospital in Minato-mirai, Nishi ward, Yokohama, an in-house daycare center provides childcare services only during examination and treatment times. The service is available by appointment only, for ages 4 months to 6 years old, and costs 3,500 yen for up to 2 hours, and 1,200 yen for every 30 minutes thereafter.
The "Moms' Cancer Screening Support Project" conducted by the Schufele Association holds "free seminars with cervical cancer screening kit" and "free breast cancer echo screening" for mothers at the all-weather kids' park HappiPiland. Although it is not a place where you can leave your child securely, the staff will watch over him/her while he/she undergoes a medical checkup.
Beauty salons, bodywork, cafes, etc.
Beauty salon Neolive aim, located at the west exit of Yokohama Station, allows customers to take care of their children in the kids' space during their treatment. The fee is free of charge.
At "Childcare Mama's Bodywork Salon" in Hodogaya Ward, if you notify the salon when you make an appointment, a guardian will watch over your child during the bodywork treatment. This is great for tired bodies after childbirth.
At "Komachi Cafe" in Totsuka Ward, you can enjoy your meal at lunch time with a guardian watching over your child. When you go there, reservations are recommended.
There may be other stores that welcome you with children. Please look for them.
A little time for yourself while your child is learning.
As your children grow, you may be interested in their lessons. While parent-child communication is an essential part of making progress, time spent entrusting children to trusted teachers may also provide a bit of a break.
Sports Centers and Lessons
Yokohama City has public sports centers in each ward. Some of them have classes for children, and children as young as middle school age can participate.
Sports teams that are run by local adults or volunteers among parents may require parental participation. If you wish to leave your child completely in the care of the school, a club run by a company or other organization may be preferable.
In addition to sports, English is another popular class. It is a good idea to look for pick-up and drop-off services as well.
Kindergarten's "Pre-Kindergarten"
Pre-kindergarten is a trial period that takes place in the time before the youngest children go to kindergarten. Applications for the school year begin as early as the beginning of the new year, or at the latest around Golden Week. There are two types of pre-kindergarten programs: one in which the parent and child participate together, and the other in which the mother and child are completely separated from each other. The age range and content of pre-kindergarten programs vary from kindergarten to kindergarten, so please refer to your local kindergarten's website or flyer for more information.
Day service and rehabilitation (early childhood classes)
Developmental support is available for children with developmental delays. Although cooperation between parents and teachers and communication between parents and children are essential, being able to leave the child with a teacher for even a short period of time gives the child a chance to take a break and think things over calmly.
Refreshments at a course with childcare
When you are spending time with your children at home, you may sometimes feel anxious that you are taking care of them but not doing enough. At such times, why not take the plunge and leave your children at home to learn and exercise?
Gender Equality Center Yokohama
Forum Yokohama is located in Totsuka Ward, Forum Minami Ota in Minami Ward, and Art Forum Azamino in Aoba Ward. Using the nursery, you can take care of your children while attending yoga lessons, job consultations, and other seminars related to women's work.
Government Courses
Some of the courses sponsored by the various wards of Yokohama City allow you to leave your child with a childcare volunteer through an NPO or other organization. As for volunteer activities, consult with the district social welfare council and they may be able to connect you.
If you have difficulty with child careA means of conditional consideration when the need arises.
Yokohama City also has a system that can be used from before birth in cases where childcare is difficult. If you have any concerns about childcare, such as if your parents live far away or if your partner or yourself have a chronic illness, first consult with the Child and Family Support Section (こども家庭支援課) at your ward office. They may be able to guide you through the various systems and give you advice.
When a child catches a cold
Yokohama City's "Childcare Service for Sick Children" and "Childcare Service for Children After Illness" may be available. The program is available for children from 6 months old to 6th grade elementary school students who have illnesses that can be treated on an outpatient basis. Pre-registration is required, and to use the service, you must visit your family doctor and make a reservation for the daycare room. It may be a good idea to at least register in anticipation of days when you cannot take off work.
Some of the aforementioned matching sites may also have sitters registered who can care for sick children.
When nighttime or overnight stay is required
We offer "24-hour emergency temporary childcare" at two facilities, Aozora Nursery School in Kanagawa Ward and Konan Harukaze Nursery School in Konan Ward. They are available for parents' accidents, illnesses, and sudden business trips. In principle, the service is available for children from 6 months of age to preschool age, and can be used for up to 3 days.
When you have to work on Sundays and holidays
Some facilities offer temporary childcare services on holidays and weekends. the application deadline is around the 10th of the previous month for those who have been certified for education and childcare benefits under No. 2 or No. 3 and normally use daycare centers. If your child has not yet entered elementary school and you need to use temporary childcare because of work, a wedding or funeral, or to relieve childcare fatigue, you must apply at least 7 days in advance. In both cases, there is a pre-registration procedure and an interview.
