1.
children waiting for daycare placement
children who cannot be enrolled in nursery schools or daycare centers due to lack of available spots, despite their parents having applied
待機児童の問題が深刻だ。
The issue of children waiting for daycare is serious.
待機児童が多い地域に住んでいる。
I live in an area with many children on daycare waiting lists.
政府は待機児童ゼロを目指している。
The government aims to eliminate daycare waiting lists.
SOCIAL ISSUE:
待機児童 has been a major social problem in Japan, particularly in urban areas, affecting working parents.
CAUSES:
- 保育所の不足 - shortage of nursery schools
- 保育士の不足 - shortage of childcare workers
- 都市部への人口集中 - population concentration in cities
IMPACT:
- 母親の就労継続が困難 - difficult for mothers to continue working
- 少子化の一因 - contributing factor to declining birth rate
RELATED TERMS:
- 保活 - the search for childcare (abbreviation of 保育園活動)
- 認可保育園 - licensed nursery school
- 認可外保育 - unlicensed childcare
- 待機児童ゼロ - zero waiting list (policy goal)