2 Childcare Assistance Program
Work-life balance support
Academic/administrative staff,
Postdoctoral Fellows, doctoral
students (male or female)(1) Aim
To subsidize the use of a babysitter or temporary childcare service to enable academic/administrative
staff members who are expecting a baby or caring for children to balance their duties with childcare sothat they do not have to abandon their careers.
(2) Program details
A grant will be provided to cover fees for babysitting/nursery services necessary for balancing workduties with childcare.
 Applications are taken quarterly for the period specified. Fee assistance is paid for items deemednecessary in the review process.
 The maximum subsidy amount is 30,000 yen for one month.
- Please note that the actual amount disbursed may be less than the requested amount,depending on the application review and the budget.
 In principle, the 1st period of the program in the 2024 academic year covers eligible childcare services
that were used in the period from April 1 to June 30, 2024 and for which a receipt was issued.
 The grant covers the cost of babysitting, temporary childcare, and certain other childcare services(including costs such as transportation and early-morning or late-night surcharges) required byawardees so that they can balance the following duties/situations with their childrearing
responsibilities:- Duties performed outside of regular working hours, including activities such as attending
meetings, assisting the administration of entrance exams, writing papers, performing
experiments, and advising students.
- Business travel, including travel for participating in academic conferences, on/off-campus
committee meetings, other meetings, etc.
- Closings (excluding long closings) of the nursery, kindergarten, or elementary school attended by
the awardees’ children that hinder the awardees from carrying out their duties, to the extent theyrequire temporary and other childcare services.
- Emergencies such as injury/illness of the child or the awardee.
 The grant may not be applied to the following:- The cost of services that are deemed part of routine childcare, such as monthly extended-hours
care fees and after-school activity fees.
- Temporary childcare at the university’s on-campus childcare facilities (Aobayama Midori
Hoikuen, Kawauchi Keyaki Hoikuen, Hoshinoko Hoikuen) or childcare service for mildly
ill/convalescent children (Hoshinoko Room).
- Fees for housework or similar ancillary activities, admission fees, annual fees, or cancellation fees.
- Childcare at a kindergarten, etc. attended by the child that is provided during the regular hours ofservice.
- Compensation for services provided by self-employed babysitters, and person-to-personcontracts.
 For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions on TUMUG support programs (in PDFformat).
(3) Eligibility to apply
All members of the university’s academic/administrative staff (including part-time administrativestaff), students (in three-year doctoral courses, or courses in medicine, dentistry or pharmacology), orJSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (DC/PD/RPD/CPD) hosted by Tohoku University who
personally care for a child living in the same household up to and including primary school grade 6.
However, children who require special support may be of any age.
- Applications cannot be made if someone else is available to provide childcare or family care on adaily basis.
- Part-time academic/administrative staff members need to work at least 64 hours monthly toqualify for this program.

(4) Application forms
 Attachment 2: Application for Fee-assistance Programs for Hiring Babysitters and Other Child care
Services (1st period), 2024
 Attachment 10: Applicant Details relating to Eligibility Evaluation (Childcare Assistance Program) Attachment 8: Survey of Cooperation in Gender Equality Activities
 Copy of documentation confirming eligibility to apply.
- Health insurance card, resident card, passport, or other document certifying child’s age
 Documentation confirming the details of childcare service use during the period covered (for each
instance of usage)- Original receipts (Be sure to have your full name listed on them)- Documents providing itemized description of services used and the hourly rates charged.

(5) Deadline for submission of application (1st period)
Friday, July 26, 2024
(6) Where to submit application
 To DEI Center, Tohoku University
 Fill out the relevant Google form and submit it to the DEI Center by the deadline along with all required
attachments (in PDF format; however, original receipts are to be sent via campus mail). The Google
Form will be posted on the DEI Center 's web page as soon as the call for applications opens.
(7) Application screening Documents will be examined by the screening panel within the Center for Gender Equality Promotion.
 During the screening process, you may be asked to prepare and submit additional documents or comefor an interview.
 Selections are scheduled to be announced in mid-August 2024.
(8) Year-end report
The awardee shall prepare a report, as separately prescribed, at the end of the academic year.
(9) Other information Application periods- 1st period: Friday, July 26, 2024(for services used April 1–June 30, 2024)- 2nd period: Friday, October 25, 2024 (for services used July 1–September 30, 2024)- 3rd period: Friday, January 24, 2025 (for services used October 1–December 31, 2024)- 4th period: Friday, April 1, 2025 (for services used January 1–March 31, 2025)
 In principle, applications are taken only for services that were received during the specified period andfor which a receipt was obtained. However, exceptions may be allowed for circumstances beyond theapplicant’s control. Please consult with the application coordinator to see if you qualify for an exception.
However, applications may not be made for fees incurred in a previous academic year.
 There is no ceiling on the amount of fee assistance that may be applied for. However, application
approval and the actual amounts awarded depend on the budget available.
 The awardee shall, as far as possible, cooperate with the following types of requests regarding thepromotion of DEI by the Committee for DEI promotion (may be taken into consideration in the selection process):
Participation in symposiums and seminars, poster presentations, responding to questionnaires, writing
articles/comments for public-relations materials, and other requests.
 When announcing the results of research made possible by this program, the awardee must clearly
acknowledge assistance provided under the program. (Please refer to the attachment “Q&A” for apractical example.) You may be asked to provide additional documentation if needed.