Recently, it was reported that the city of Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, agreed to a settlement of approximately 270 million yen in damages after a one-year-old child suffered a severe disability due to choking during a meal at a municipal daycare center.
This news sparked many reactions on social media:
“If we allow such large compensation, no one will want to be a nursery teacher.”
“Shouldn’t the parents have been the ones to watch the child at that age?”
However, I do not share that view. Perhaps others feel similarly conflicted.
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■ This Is Not the Parents’ Fault
It is true that “if the child hadn’t been left at daycare, the accident wouldn’t have happened.” But that logic completely ignores the realities of modern parenting and society.
Today, dual-income households are the norm, and daycare is an essential social infrastructure. Parents don’t leave their children out of convenience — they live and work based on the assumption that daycare is a safe and reliable option.
What’s at issue here is not the fact that a one-year-old was placed in daycare, but whether the accident could have been prevented in a professional childcare environment that is supposed to ensure safety.
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■ Why Was the Compensation So High?
This amount is not a punishment. It is compensation.
The child was left with a serious disability. Lifelong assistance may be needed, and ordinary life and employment may no longer be possible. The settlement reflects the estimated future cost of living and care.
Some argue that this places too much responsibility on nursery teachers. But acknowledging their responsibilities is different from denying compensation when accidents occur.
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■ Will Nursery Teachers Really Quit Because of This?
The real reason nursery teachers are quitting is not because of the weight of responsibility alone, but because of the difficult working conditions:
Managing too many children with too few staff
Inadequate breaks
Low pay despite being a nationally certified job
Overwhelming paperwork and event preparation
Being told to “avoid accidents” and “you may face legal responsibility” on top of that only leads to further exhaustion.
What nursery teachers need is not immunity from responsibility, but a safe, supportive working environment.
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■ We Don’t Need to Point Fingers — We Need Structural Reform
The takeaway from this incident is not about blaming parents or finding fault with individual caregivers. What we need is a system where everyone can feel confident entrusting their children to care:
Adequate staffing in childcare facilities
Comprehensive safety training and protocols
Systems that protect caregivers (e.g., institutions bear legal liability)
Structures of mutual trust between parents, caregivers, and local governments
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■ In Conclusion
We must not trivialize the weight of someone’s life by saying, “The parents should have been there.”
Let’s build a society where children can be cared for safely — no matter who watches them, or where. That is the true way we can take responsibility after such a tragic accident.
If you found this article helpful, I would be very grateful if you could share it with others. Thank you for reading!
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#childcare #nurseryteacher #safety #parenting #socialresponsibility #workingparents #publicsupport #earlychildhood
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References:
1. Mainichi Shimbun: “Fukuyama City to Settle with 270 Million Yen After 1-Year-Old Chokes at Daycare” https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/f42d2fe71e2bd4c3935773b9c867c6f9e53c3d76
2. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: “Materials on Improving Working Conditions and Quality of Childcare” https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000737337.pdf
3. Japan Nursery Association: “On Improving the Work Environment for Nursery Teachers” https://www.hoikukyo.or.jp/outline/environment/
4. Japan Association for Childcare Safety: “Child Accident Prevention Guidelines” https://www.hoikusafety.or.jp/guideline
5. Child Welfare Act (e-Gov Legal Search) https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=323AC0000000048
