Childcare Support
Childcare Room “Hoshinoko”
(1) Overview of the Childcare Room
The Childcare Room “Hoshinoko” was established in April 2015 in Mitaka Campus. Managed by a childcare facility operator, the room provides childcare services with multiple nursery teachers, conforming to the standards for establishing unlicensed childcare facilities issued by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. On January 1, 2020, the room received a “Certification of Meeting the Guidance and Supervision for Unlicensed Childcare Facilities” from the Governor of Tokyo.
One remarkable feature of Hoshinoko is that it provides childcare utilizing the rich natural environment surrounding Mitaka Campus, and its location adjacent to Mitaka Picture Book House. Its services are offered in two forms: hourly and monthly. So far, it has been providing monthly childcare services for NAOJ’s international academic staff. Its hourly services are also available to academic staff and students visiting from other universities to attend research meetings or other events held at Mitaka Campus.
(2) System Overview
| Monthly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| NAOJ staff (all job categories) | available | available |
| Regular students in the Department of Astronomical Science, SOKENDAI | available | available |
| Graduate students accepted under partnership agreements | available | available |
| Special Joint Researchers (graduate students) | available | available |
| JSPS Fellows | available | available |
| EACOA Fellows | available | available |
| Dispatch Staff | available | available |
| NINS staff (including those belonging to Astrobiology Center) | available | available |
| Staff or students belonging to the Institute of Astronomy, the University of Tokyo | available | available |
| Those who are not belonging to NAOJ but visiting NAOJ for attending events such as research meetings | not available | available |
| Those others deemed by the Director General to be eligible | Subject to negotiation | available |
| Monthly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible Children | Preschool children of 57 days or over | |
| Capacity | About 10 children | |
| Fees | Childcare fees are determined based on the standard set by Mitaka City. (Fees can be reduced when the child has a sibling regardless of whether the sibling has ever used the Childcare Room.) Fees for those not belonging to NINS are 10 % higher than the normal fees. Payment is accepted in cash only and is due at the end of every month. (Due dates can be negotiable.) | Childcare fees are 600 JPY per hour regardless of children's age, with remaining time equal to or greater than 15 minutes rounded up to the next hour. Excess fees are calculated in the same way and are charged separately. Payment is accepted in cash only and must be made at the Employee Affairs Unit by 4:00 p.m. on the day of use. |
| Available Time | From 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays (Times for monthly use are determined within this range to match the working hours of the parents.) | |
| Procedure |
PDF／Word |
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| Lunch | If your child is under the age of three, we will ask you to bring a packed lunch. For children ages three or older, lunch delivery services are available upon request from the parents. (A lunch fee of 375 JPY will be charged separately. An allergen-free lunch can be selected.) In certain cases, lunch delivery services may be available for children under three years old at the discretion of their parents. | |
*1 Parent-and-child interviews are conducted with nursery staff monitoring how children respond. During the interviews, nursery staff will provide instructions on what items to prepare
Forms
(3) Application Period
Typically, the call for applications for the Japanese academic/fiscal year period of monthly childcare services (starting from April 1) will be issued in the fall of the previous year. New applications during the middle of a fiscal year will be accepted only when there are openings available. Since the April 2018 round, there has been spaces reserved for children of female academics (Research and Academic Staff or Employees on Annual Salary System) who wish to return to work in May or later, which enables them to receive a monthly childcare service immediately after their return.
Applications for hourly use are always available. If it is not possible to have an interview in advance because your desired date is imminent, or because you live far from Mitaka Campus, a brief interview will be held right before the start of services on your day of use.
(4) Service Overview
In addition to indoor play, the childcare room offers opportunities for children to enjoy strolling around Mitaka Campus, going to Mitaka Picture Book House and nearby parks, and walking along the Nogawa River, allowing them to experience the surrounding natural environment. They often play outdoors in morning, have lunch in the room before noon, take a nap, and then play indoor in afternoon. The childcare room also holds seasonal events such as bamboo-shoot digging in campus in spring, playing with water in summer, a Halloween party in fall, and a Christmas party in winter.
While nursery staff do not speak English, children whose parents do not speak Japanese will be accepted under the following conditions: understand that the childcare services are only offered in Japanese; they can be accompanied by someone who can speak English to act as an interpreter during a parent-and-child interview or at everyday pick up and drop off times; they can designate someone who can speak Japanese and English as an emergency contact. (We also ask that after the start of services, the frequency assistance by the accompanying interpreter is gradually reduced through conversation with nursery staff.)
As a measure against the risks of earthquakes, fires, and suspicious individuals, the childcare room has an evacuation drill every month. It also participates in NAOJ-held disaster drills to ensure the children's safety.
(5) Contact Information
Employee Affairs Unit, General Affairs Group, Administration Department, NAOJ
E-mail: shokuin_at_nao.ac.jp (Please replace _at_ with @.）
If you would like a booklet for the childcare room, you should also contact Employee Affairs Unit.
We will handle all information with the utmost care, so please feel free to inquire about the childcare room, even if you are considering applying for future open positions at NAOJ.