Babysitters are becoming more accessible through discount vouchers from the Children and Families Agency and subsidies from local governments. At the same time, shortages of sitters and the need to ensure quality have emerged as challenges, while consideration is being given to the possibility that the treatment of the discount system could change under Japan's DBS system, which takes effect at year-end.
Babysitters, once widely viewed as expensive, are becoming more common among ordinary families as discount vouchers and local-government subsidies expand. But while demand is rising, shortages of personnel and the need to ensure quality are becoming increasingly serious. Whether to maintain the existing discount system is under debate, and the outlook is that site operators will be excluded from Japan's DBS system, which takes effect at year-end.
As the use of matching websites spreads in the field, the account of a mother who uses a sitter at her home in Tokyo is also introduced. After learning that her first pregnancy involved twins, she consulted her ward office and was advised that the service would be cheaper for twins. She uses it for about 3 to 4 hours on weekdays from Monday to Friday. Her out-of-pocket cost is about ¥3,000 per day after using subsidies from the ward and the Tokyo metropolitan government, which also helps her secure time for housework.
The user says she appreciates that the sitter "always checks in" and uses the service to share childcare responsibilities as support during parental leave. At the same time, debate continues over issues including how to ensure safety and the appropriate business model, with whether the discounts can continue emerging as the key issue going forward.