Children

Pregnancy ｜ Parenting ｜ Allowances & Benefits ｜ Glossary 

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, please fill out a notification of pregnancy form and submit it to the Health and Welfare Center. You will be given a Maternal and Child Health Handbook with vouchers for general medical examinations for pregnant mothers and infants, and a voucher for dental examinations for pregnant mothers. The Maternal and Child Health Handbook is necessary for medical examinations and immunizations for pregnant mothers and infants.

It is possible to receive a Maternal and Child Health Handbook after the birth of the child.

Contact the Health Support Division (TEL 043-245-9925) or Health and Welfare Center for more information.

General Medical Examination for Mothers

If you are a registered foreign resident and received a Maternal and Child Health Handbook, you can obtain 14 maternity examinations at the nearest medical facility during the term of your pregnancy.

Contact the Health Support Division (TEL 043-245-9925) or Health and Welfare Center for more information.

Dental Examinations for Pregnant Women and New Mothers

If you are a registered foreign resident and have received a Maternal and Child Health Handbook, you can receive two free dental examinations at a participating city medical facility, once during pregnancy and once after giving birth.

Contact the Health Support Division (TEL 043-245-9925) or Health and Welfare Center for more information. 

Parenting

Medical Exams for Infants

Infants can receive free medical examinations at a nearby medical institution once during the ages of 3 to 6 months and once from 9 to 11 months of age. Vouchers for the medical exams are provided with the Maternal and Child Health Handbook. Free medical examinations for children aged 4 months, 1.5 years, and 3 years old are performed at Health and Welfare Centers on designated days.

Contact the Health Support Division (TEL 043-245-9925) or Health and Welfare Center for more information.

Exam for Congenital Dislocation of the Hip Joint

Vouchers are issued for free examinations for infants 3 to 7 months of age in order to detect this disorder in its early stages. The examination can be received up until the day before the child turns 8 months old, and vouchers can be obtained at Health and Welfare Centers, the Citizens' Affairs Division at ward offices, and at any civic center.

Contact the Health Support Division (TEL 043-245-9925) for more information.

Vaccinations

In Japan, vaccinations are given to children when they reach certain ages in order to prevent the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases. Elementary school students receive the notices from their schools. Notifications regarding special vaccinations are announced in the Chiba City Newsletter (Chiba Shiseidayori) or on the city homepage.

Contact the Infectious Disease Countermeasures Division, Health Center (TEL 043-238-9941) for more details.

Day Care Centers

Day care centers are available to care for children from the day after the baby has turned 3 months of age to pre-elementary school age, whose guardians are unable to look after them during the day due to work or illness.

Day care fees differ according to family income.

Contact the Child and Domestic Affairs Division at your local Health and Welfare Center for more details.

Children's Kodomo Rooms

These facilities are for children who are in the 1st through 3rd grades of elementary school, whose parents are not at home during the day because of work or other reasons.

Contact the Child and Domestic Affairs Division at your local Health and Welfare Center for more information. 

Allowances & Benefits

There are income and age restrictions and other conditions that must be met in order to obtain the following allowances and benefits. Contact the Child and Domestic Affairs Division at your local Health and Welfare Center for more information.

Child Allowances

These allowances are provided to parents of children until March 31 after the child reaches 15 years of age.

Medical Subsidies for Children

Financial support is available for a portion of medical expenses covered under insurance. This applies to children from age 0 to elementary school third-graders who regularly visit a medical facility, as well as children ages 0 to middle school graduates who have been hospitalized for in-patient care.

Child Support Allowances

In order to offer financial support for families such as single-parent households as a result of divorce, child support allowances are given to a parent or foster parent until March 31 after the child's 18th birthday (for those who have been diagnosed with a medium to severe mental or physical disability, until they reach 20 years of age).

Special Child Support Allowances

Benefits are also available to those who are raising children younger than 20 years of age who have mental or physical impairments. 

Glossary

English	Japanese	Romanization
child allowance	児童手当	jidou teate
child support allowance	児童扶養手当	jidou fuyou teate
congenital dislocation of the hip joint	先天性股関節脱臼	sentensei kokansetsu dakkyuu
Maternal and Child Health Handbook	母子健康手帳	boshi kenkou techou
notification of pregnancy form	妊娠届	ninshintodoke
special child support allowance	特別児童扶養手当	tokubetsu jidou fuyou teate

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