Someone who loves babies and children and is not afraid of taking care of them. The ideal candidate is someone who has the strength, generosity, and playful spirit to deal with people who cannot be reasoned with by adults. Of course, physical strength is essential.

The job involves taking care of children, mainly those who have not yet entered elementary school, from parents who want to balance work and child rearing. In addition to taking care of the children, they also play an important role in educating them about food and other lifestyle habits, and helping them develop their language and motor skills. While this job requires a lot of "energy," both physically and mentally, it is also a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience to watch the children grow and develop.

To become a nursery teacher, you need a national qualification called "nursery teacher qualification". There are two ways to obtain the qualification. (1) You can obtain a license by studying at a nursery school (university, junior college, or vocational school) designated by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and graduating from the school. The departments and faculties that offer training programs, such as childcare, social welfare, and child education, vary from school to school, so be sure to confirm whether or not your school has been designated by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. (2) Even if you have not graduated from one of the above-mentioned training facilities, you can obtain the certification by passing the "nursery teacher examination" administered by each prefectural government.

The nursery teacher examination is held twice a year. The exam is administered twice a year. The qualifications include those who have been enrolled in a university or junior college for at least two years and have earned at least 62 credits, and those who have graduated from high school and have at least two years of work experience. However, the pass rate is low, at around 24%, so it is important to study efficiently in a way that suits you best, such as taking correspondence courses, studying on your own with a reference book in hand, or attending "nursery teacher exam preparation seminars" held in various locations.

Although the number of infants and toddlers is decreasing year by year due to the declining birthrate, the national and local governments are actively implementing "childcare support" programs, and the number of facilities and workplaces requiring childcare workers is increasing in addition to licensed daycare centers. For example, hospitals (to care for children in long-term hospitalization) and private daycare facilities (unlicensed daycare centers) are steadily expanding their fields of activity. On the other hand, the number of "certified childcare centers" that provide both education and childcare is increasing, so it is advantageous to obtain a kindergarten teacher qualification in addition to a nursery teacher qualification when finding a job.

In the case of public schools, they will have the status of local officials and will be paid based on their standards. In the case of private daycare centers, there is a considerable difference in the amount of salary depending on whether they are licensed or not. In the case of licensed daycare centers, there is not much difference from public daycare centers. The average annual salary for both public and private daycare workers is approximately 3.7 million yen (average age: 37.6 years old).

Most day-care centers offer "Saturday care," but on Saturdays, the number of children in their care is small and they have enough nursery staff with a small number of children, so they can take turns taking the day off. Most day-care centers ensure a two day weekend, with Monday off for those who work on Saturdays.

Public and private daycare centers, infant homes, children's homes, facilities for handicapped children, in-house daycare centers, baby hotels, children's halls, children's centers, etc. Recently, workplaces have also expanded to department stores and sports clubs.

It's a chart that shows at a glance the main routes to getting a job as a childcare worker!