Support systems provided by JAXA
Childcare support at JAXA
On-site nursery school
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Hoshinoko Nursery School
Hoshinoko Nursery School is an employer-provided nursery school opened in the Tsukuba Space Center in April 2012 as part of the support provided to JAXA employees that would ensure the healthy balance between meeting the demands of work and childcare. Hoshinoko Nursery School has a maximum admission capacity of 18 children (from 57 days old to the age before children attend elementary school) of JAXA employees and fulltime partner-employees at the Tsukuba Space Center (i.e., temporary workers and employees from subcontracting companies). This school provides children with a rich natural environment as a nursing environment where they could explore freely and easily. The target users of Hoshinoko Nursery School are the employees of JAXA and fulltime partner-employees at the Tsukuba Space Center.
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Soranoko Nursery School
Soranoko Nursery School opened in April 2018. With the support of Company-led Childcare Project by the Cabinet Office*, this school was established to provide an ideal working environment for all the employees to fully exercise their abilities while juggling career and child-rearing. In addition to children of JAXA’s employees, offspring of employees of other national institutions with the contract to use the school and residents can enter this nursing school. The school can accept up to 10 children aged 57 days to 6 years.
For more information
(* The project is aimed to expand childcare services to match the needs of various working styles, to provide a balanced environment to work and rear children, and to reduce the number of children waiting to enroll in nursery schools.)
Initiatives
Male employees who take childcare leave at JAXA have slightly increased and accounted for 38.7% in fisical year 2022.(We have only 17.9% in fiscal year 2021.)
We have interviewed to the male employees who have taken childcare leave and asked their actual situations. We hope this will be helpful for both men and women, especially employees who wish to take childcare leave, as well as their bosses/colleague who were asked for advice from their subordinates about childcare leave.
In addition, we hold a monthly Luncheon with child-rearing discussions during lunch at our Tsukuba, Tokyo, Sagamihara, and Chofu offices. Various individuals who are currently raising children, have experienced child-rearing, or want to gather information for future child-rearing plans, can casually participate in this discussion and exchange information on child-rearing.
Cases for Work and Childcare Balance:
She joined JAXA eight years ago after completing her master’s degree in engineering.
She is in charge of, and one of the developers for, the satellite communication experiment at the Satellite Applications and Promotion Center of the Satellite Applications Mission Directorate I.
She is a mother of three children who range in age from zero to five. Her husband is an engineer as well. She maintains a good work-childcare balance by using the childcare systems provided inside and outside of JAXA, as well as services provided by community.
□ She had used the following childcare support systems provided by JAXA:
- Leave before and after childbirth (as paid vacation) and childcare leave
- Nursing time (30 minutes twice per day, as paid vacation; available until the child turns one)
□ She currently uses the following childcare support systems provided by JAXA:
- Sick/injured childcare leave (five days per year for one child; 10 days per year for two or more children)
- Work I (8:30-16:45)
□ At present, she uses the following childcare support systems provided by community:
- Family Support System provided by the City of Tsukuba (services for children following illness and other events)
- >Licensed and nonlicensed nursery schools
- >Childcare facilities for children following illness (licensed and nonlicensed nursery schools)
□ Cooperators for childcare in the family (informal support):
- Her husband (sends children to nursery school)
- Her natural mother (helps Mrs. H. when her children are sick, she works late, or takes a business trip; she lives in the vicinity of Mrs. H.’s residence)
- Her husband’s parents (during longer business trips)
Joined JAXA 13 years ago after graduating from a university, presently holds an administrative job position
Conducts financial settlements (payments, closing etc.) for the Tsukuba district at Tsukuba Finance Section, Finance Division
Father of a 2-year old child. Wife works as well. Uses JAXA and non-JAXA services.
□ He had used the following childcare support systems provided by JAXA:
- Used maternity leave for husbands
- Uses Hoshinoko Child Care Nursery
□ He currently uses the following childcare support systems provided by JAXA:
- Sick/injured childcare leave (five days per year for one child; 10 days per year for two or more children)
- Work I (8:30-16:45)
□ At present, he uses the following childcare support systems provided by community:
□ Cooperators for childcare in the family (informal support):
- Wife (not a cooperator, but both husband and wife are major child-raisers in their family)
- Mother-in-law (Received assistance when her child became ill/However, she works during the day even though she lives nearby.)
He joined JAXA 15 years ago after achieving a Master’s degree from a graduate school of engineering.
He presently works as Chief Researcher and develop the satelite. His wife also works, and they have a one-year-old child.
□ He had used the following childcare support systems provided by JAXA:
- Used maternity leave for husbands
- Childcare Leave (taken simultaneously with wife)
□ He currently uses the following childcare support systems provided by JAXA:
- Sick/injured childcare leave
- Sick and Recovering Child Care (Planning to use)
□ At present, he uses the following childcare support systems provided by community:
- Municipally designated child care nursery
- Childcare Support Centers (Center for parents and children in the child raising period to exchange opinions)
□ Cooperators for childcare in the family (informal support):
- Wife (child care and housework are shared consensually with the wife)
- Mother-in-law (one month before and after childbirth)