What is "Baby First" in Tokyo? How do you use it? What about other local government support?
The national "Birth and Childcare Support Grant" was established to ensure that all families can give birth and raise children in peace. In Tokyo, points issued on a dedicated website are being exchanged for various items and services as "Baby First". Let's take a look at examples from other local governments, including the content and usage methods.
What is Baby First?
"Baby First" is the nickname for Tokyo's birth and child-rearing support program.
Financial support worth 50,000 yen per pregnant woman during pregnancy, and 100,000 yen per child after giving birth. This involves Tokyo adding 50,000 yen after childbirth to the national "Birth and Childcare Support Grant," which is paid 50,000 yen each at pregnancy and after giving birth, and is paid not as cash, but as points equivalent to the amount that can be used on a dedicated site.
The Grant for Childbirth and Childcare Support is economic support aimed at "creating an environment where all pregnant women and families with child-rearing can have childbirth and child-rearing in peace," and will be operated on two main pillars: enhancing "affiliated consultation support" that is close to pregnant women and families with children aged 0-2 years old through interviews and information provided. The principle is that it is carried out by municipalities, but prefectures may also work together, and Tokyo's "baby first" project is one of them.
What kind of points can you use?
The "Baby First" website offers services such as housework support and childcare support, as well as maternity products, baby clothes and miscellaneous goods, toys, and lifestyle support items that reduce the burden on housework.
The catalog covers 144 pages, with product information provided with photos for each genre.
The catalogue also includes baby carriers, and BABY&Me's BELK-S, BELK-S first set, and ONE-S LIGHT are also featured.
Product information includes specifications, target age, and applicable weight, but there are 18 items with baby carriers alone, so it may be difficult to choose based on the catalog alone.
BABY&Me products can be tried on at stores that carry them. Please feel free to experience the benefits of this product, such as its ease of use and unique structure that reduces the burden, before choosing it.
Baby First, how do you use it?
You can enter by submitting a pregnancy or birth notification at the counter of your city, town, or village.
However, as I mentioned earlier, this project also aims to enhance support for running-based consultations, so it is also necessary to have an interview at a certain time, such as when submitting a pregnancy notification, late pregnancy, or after giving birth. Once you have submitted a notification and are interviewed, you will receive a card that allows you to access the dedicated website, so you can access it using the 2D code listed, select the product, and apply.
There is no need to use up all the points at once, and you can use them in multiple separate sessions if they are within the deadline. Some catalogs can be exchanged for a small amount of points, such as consumables and food, so it's a good idea to apply for an exchange of products if necessary.
Is there any other local government?
Childbirth and child-rearing support grants are government policies, so they can be used by local governments across the country.
However, there is no other local government, like Tokyo, that has its own unique additions. In designated cities such as Yokohama, Osaka, and Nagoya, the amount of benefits provided during pregnancy and after giving birth is 50,000 yen each.
All local governments need to report pregnancy and birth and have an interview at a certain time.
The way the payment is made varies depending on the local government, and in some cases, points are issued on a dedicated website, such as in Tokyo, while in some municipalities, cash is transferred to a designated bank account.
You can check the details and methods of supporting the area you live in by inquiring at each local government's counter, and searching the local government's name and "Birth and Childcare Support Grant" online.
What should you be careful about when receiving benefits?
It is fine for cash payments, but for coupons and points, there may be an expiration date.
Points for "Baby First" in Tokyo will expire six months after its publication. Points will be awarded at the same time as registering to the dedicated site, so after registering, apply for the product as soon as possible and make use of it without waste.
