How to open a licensed nursery school
Updated: July 2026, 4
When opening a new daycare center, you need to obtain "license" from the local government. There are two types of childcare facilities: "licensed daycare centers" and "unlicensed daycare centers."
Since licensed daycare centers are primarily established by local governments, their opening is heavily influenced by the local government's childcare plan and budget.
There are three main ways to open a licensed nursery school.
| Self-maintained type | Local governments approve daycare centers built by people who wish to open a daycare center with their own funds, without receiving any subsidy from the local government or the national government. In many cases, establishment entities eligible for subsidies are not limited to social welfare corporations (including those scheduled to be established). | ◆ Merit Preparations can be made according to the schedule of those wishing to open a business. ◆ Disadvantages Largest amount of reserve funds |
| Development using subsidies: Land secured type | Those wishing to open a nursery school secure land (either self-owned or leased land is acceptable), and the local government approves the construction of the nursery school with the help of a nursery school development subsidy from the local government. In many cases, the establishment entities eligible for subsidies are social welfare corporations (including those scheduled to be established). | ◆ Merit There is a high possibility that the park will open if land can be secured. ◆ Disadvantages Affected by public recruitment schedule. |
| Subsidy-based development: Property rental type | The local government approves the daycare center that the person who wishes to open rents the building and receives a childcare center development subsidy from the local government. | ◆ Merit reserve funds are the smallest ◆ Disadvantages It is difficult to find the perfect property for a nursery school. |
Childcare facilities where local governments are recruiting nursery school openings through public recruitment
| Child welfare facility | Description |
| Licensed nursery school/licensed nursery school | A child welfare facility based on the Child Welfare Act that has cleared the installation standards set by the country (size of facility, number of staff such as childcare workers, school lunch facilities, disaster prevention management, hygiene management, etc.) and has been approved by the prefectural governor. It's a facility. If a parent is unable to care for a child between the ages of 0 and pre-elementary school due to work or illness, we will take care of the child. |
| Kindergarten cooperation type certified nursery school | This facility has both the functions of a kindergarten and a nursery school. We will provide education and childcare based on the nursery and nursery school cooperative certified nursery school education and childcare guidelines. |
| Small-scale childcare business type A | It is a type of community-based childcare business. This is a small childcare facility for children aged 6 to 19 with a capacity of XNUMX to XNUMX children. Type A is said to be a mini nursery school or nursery school branch. |
| Small-scale childcare business type B | It is a type of community-based childcare business. This is a small childcare facility for children aged 6 to 19 with a capacity of XNUMX to XNUMX children. It is an intermediate form between type A and type B. |
| Small-scale childcare business type C | A small childcare business with a capacity of 6 to 10 people. This will be a home-style childcare (group-type small-scale childcare). |
| Family childcare business | We accept children from 0 years old (8 weeks old) to 3 years old, and childcare is provided in the home of a family caregiver. With a small group setting of 3 to 4 children per family caregiver, the facility provides flexible and attentive care. |
| In-office childcare business | In-office childcare services are implemented by a business establishment that takes the lead in providing childcare (regional quota) for children who require local childcare at a nursery school opened for the children of its employees. This is a childcare facility. The requirements for opening a childcare facility vary depending on its size. If the facility has 20 or more children, the same staffing and space requirements as licensed childcare facilities apply. If the facility has 19 or fewer children, the same staffing and space requirements as small-scale childcare facilities (Type A or Type B) apply. |
| Home visiting childcare business | This is a project that provides detailed childcare on a one-on-one basis at the parent's home in cases where individual care is required due to a disability, illness, etc. Each home-based childcare worker (a childcare worker who has completed the necessary training or who is recognized by the mayor of the municipality as having knowledge and experience equivalent to or better than that of a childcare worker) will provide detailed childcare for one infant. |
For childcare facility management business, please contact Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation
Applications for childcare facility management projects are highly specialized and can be said to be one of the fields in which there are few administrative scriveners who can handle them.
Our staff has a track record of applying in all prefectures across the country.
Please feel free to contact us even for complex cases, such as those requiring an information session or those with limited time before the submission deadline.
