The number of children on day care waiting lists in Japan as of April 1 hit a record-low 5,634, as many parents refrained from applying for places at nurseries due to infection fears amid the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Friday.
The tally, down 6,805 from the year before, fell below 10,000 for the first time since the welfare ministry began collecting data in 1994. The number of applications also declined for the first time, falling around 14,000 to about 2.83 million.
Many parents, especially mothers, are believed to have extended their child care leave or given up working to look after their children at home.