Education／Childcare Fees

Childcare fees are based on the parents’ municipal residence taxes. This tax amount is determined by the parents’ income (both mother and father). (If the household is supported mainly by grandparents or another relative, nursery school fees may be based on the amount of municipal residence tax imposed on that relative)

• Childcare fees from April to August 2023 are calculated from the total amount of the municipal residence taxes imposed in fiscal year 2022 (based on the income of 2021) and fees from September 2023 to March 2024 will be determined by the total amount of municipal residence taxes imposed in fiscal year 2023 (based on the income of 2022).

Individuals who aren’t registered as Tokushima City residents as of January first of this year and have not submitted the municipal residence taxation certificate will pay a tentative estimated nursery fee. This also applies to individuals who have residency in Tokushima City, but who did not file taxes because they have no income or due to other reasons. Tentative estimated nursery school fees will be recalculated and charged after the municipal residence taxation certificate is submitted, or after municipal residence taxes are filed to the city (Residence Tax Division).

When siblings from one household are attending childcare facilities at the same time, fees for the oldest child will be charged in full and fees for the second child will be charged at 50%. This reduction is also applicable when pre-school-age siblings attend or receive services from kindergartens part of special-needs schools, daycare within children’s psychological treatment facilities or utilizing child development support or medical-based child development support as well as nursery schools, kindergartens, certified childcare centers, municipal-based childcare, or childcare services inside businesses. If you are using/enrolled in a facility other than a certified childcare facility or Tokushima City municipal kindergarten, you must also submit a certificate of enrollment from your facility. No nursery school fees are charged for a third child or for any subsequent children.

Childhood education is viewed as an immensely important basis that is the cultivation of the lifetime development of children’s characters. Considering this, the declining birthrate in Japan, and as a way to lessen the financial burden of education for children, facility use fees for children aged 3~5yrs old who are attending kindergartens, nursery schools, certified childcare centers (etc.) are free/no cost. In addition to this, the facility use fees for families with children aged 0~2yrs who are exempt from municipal tax will also be free/no cost.

*1: If you enroll your child into an extended childcare service at a kindergarten or certified childcare center (kindergarten portion) that only has type 1 classification services available but you qualify for classification 2 Facility Use Benefits and meet one of the following requirements, additional usage of an unlicensed childcare service (in addition to the extended childcare service) will be covered (in full or partially) by the fee exemption:
1. The number of regular childcare hours plus the number of hours of weekday extended childcare provided is equal to less than 8 hours per day or
2. The number of days that the kindergarten (etc.) you use is open is under 200 days a year.
However, in the above case as well, including usage of the extended childcare service at your child’s facility, there is a limit of 11,300 yen for the exemption amount you can receive. (For households with 3yrs old children that are exempt from municipal resident tax, the monthly exemption limit is 16,300 yen.)
(The following facilities allow for children using their extended childcare services to also use a separate facility for (additional) unlicensed childcare service use: public kindergartens (excluding Fukushima, Suketo, Kamona, Hachiman, Sensho, Kawauchikita and Kokufu kindergartens), public certified childcare centers, and the Naruto University of Education (affiliated) Kindergarten.)

You must receive a “Childcare Need” classification from Tokushima City in order to qualify for facility use fee exemption for the 2 situations under the “Childcare Need classified children (Type 2/3)” section above.

*2: If you are an employee of the corporation that runs the corporate-based childcare facility that you wish to use, you do not need to complete an facility use application. If you are not one of these employees and are someone who lives in the area and wants to use one of these facilities, you must receive a “Childcare Need” classification.

Regarding school lunch fees, provision of staple foods (such as rice) is the parent/guardians responsibility. (Cost of supplementary foods for those aged 0 – 2 years old (such as side dish) is covered by enrollment fees).
In order to relieve fees from childhood education/childcare, childcare expenses for those aged 3 – 5 years old are waved, however school lunch fees are still the parent/guardians responsibility.

• Child Policy Division (Kodomo Seisaku-ka) TEL：088-621-5240
• Childcare Division (Kodomo Hoiku-ka) TEL：088-621-5193
• School and Education Division (Gakko Kyoiku-ka) TEL：088-621-5435
• Division of Welfare for People with Disabilities (Shogai Fukushi-ka) TEL：088-621-5171

The cost of non-staple food fees at any of Tokushima City’s municipal/public nursery schools or certified childcare centers is as shown in the table below. (If you are enrolled in a private nursery school or private certified childcare center, please contact the facility directly for information on supplementary fee costs, as the costs will vary per facility).

Furthermore, in the case that your household meets one of the following requirements below, you will be eligible for (full/partial) exemption from non-staple food fees.