The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to earmark 700 billion yen for measures to boost child-care support for working parents within its fiscal 2002 budget request, according to ministry officials.

The move is primarily aimed at increasing the number of nursery centers, the officials said Thursday.

It is also in line with a pledge by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to provide sufficient after-school day care facilities and to eliminate waiting lists at officially licensed nurseries.