A Report on the Management and Use of After-school Childcare in Hilly and Mountainous Areas

Abstract

In this report, we studied the management and use of after-school childcare （ASC） in hilly and mountainous areas （HMA）. The case areas of this research were depopulated towns and villages in Gunma Prefecture, particularly Nanmoku Village and Kanna Town, where depopulation is increasing rapidly. The results were as follows : 1）ASC was necessary not only in urban areas but also in HMA because many children return from school to an empty home in HMA. In particular, in areas that had fewer parks due to their steep hillsides and the long distance between the houses where children lived ; places providing ASC are highly valued as children can to go outdoors, interact, and play together. However, the towns and villages where childcare is not free and the ASC only allows registration for children whose parents are not at home when school hours end ; therefore, not all children enjoy the functions of ASC in HMA. In those areas, children use other institutions, including systems, such as after-school child classes. 2）In some towns and villages, regardless of their status with respect to depopulation, there was no fee for ASC to support families raise children. On the other hand, moderate to high fees in Gunma Prefecture would be needed for the use of ASC in towns and villages that were designated as depopulated areas. 3）In Nanmoku Village and Kanna Town, almost every child was registered with ASC. The reasons for this were the free provision of ASC for all children as there were fewer elementary school children than the capacity for ASC, and there are few parks in these areas, particularly in Nanmoku Village.