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A six-month-old boy has died after being left unattended for 30 minutes at an unlicensed daycare facility in Tokyo.
The baby died on Wednesday afternoon at Wakakusa Baby Room located in Higashi-Oizumi, Nerima Ward, Fuji TV reported. According to the director, the boy was found lying face down and not moving. Thirty minutes earlier, he had been placed on his back.
On Thursday, speaking to reporters, the director of the daycare center apologized. She said: “We had documents we needed to send to the metropolitan government, and there was also one member of staff dealing with some customers. We check on the children every 15 minutes, but this time it turned into 30. That 30-minute gap is inexcusable. We are very sorry.”
As a general rule, the government advises that, in the case of children under one year old, it is best to check on their facial expression and breathing every five minutes.
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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that person
Absolutely unforgivable! Every 15 minutes?
Don't you "professionals" know that an infant should never be left unattended?!?
Japan needs a better maternity leave system then this wouldn't even be an issue. No wonder there aren't enough kids and female employees!
In Japan, you really only have 3 choices as a woman:
1-career and no kids
2-career and poor parenting
3-good parenting and no career
Oh my Buddha
It takes multiple people sending documents?
One person watching infants?
Questionable service they got...
I hope the owners get sued an lose everything they have earned through this business. Even jail time.
mariamaria
Too sad.
Speed
This was my biggest fear when my kid was a baby at nursery school. It can happen so easily.
Goodlucktoyou
I changed to part time work because I can’t trust my boy to places. Now he comes with me to work.
savethegaijin
A lot of times I feel regret for throwing my career away because I couldn't stomach sending my daughter to strangers as a baby.
This is not one of those times.
No one should have to sacrifice their child's safety to continue their career or put food on the table. Things like this shouldn't happen.
juminRhee
Families should be able to live comfortably off one income alone. Stay at home dad or stay at home mom...doesn't matter. Makes for more stable family anyway, unless one wishes to abolish the family unit.
Do the hustle
An unlicencenced day care center with indisciplined routines has resulted in the death of a baby. It’s difficult to believe a six month old boy could just die because he rolled over. My son was walking at 8 months old. Their excuse of sending documents seems pretty lame too. Then, they state they check on babies every 15 minutes, but the regulations state every five minutes. The owners of this facility are criminals. You can be sure they were charging the full amount for day care even though they were not a licensed center. Something really needs to be done about the lack of licensed Day facilities.
Bintaro
Several things feel weird to me :
Can a baby die just by rolling over ? (honest question, I know nothing about taking care of a baby)
Shouldn't the role of a daycare center be to watch the kids at all time ?
Shouldn't there be more than 2 persons working there ?Luddite
Poor child, the parents must be distraught. The statement from the day care centre was insulting, trying to make excuses for what happened.
DaDude
Not all families have that luxury. Just because both parents work, it doesn't lessen the family relationship.
Vince Black
Shocking. Tantamount to murder.
Its such a shame that these unliscenced daycares are often the last resort of low income families, people who are struggling to begin with. Then this happens. I really hope that the lazy POS who neglected their duties is writhing in guilt for the rest of their life
Ah_so
Yes - the can suffocate. That is why babies should be left to sleep on their backs.
Why? A six month old is still a baby - they can still suffocate on their front. 5 to 6 months is about the typical age for rolling over. And yes, a few months later start making attempts at walking - not usually before 9 months, but you may have an early starter.
cla68
A 6-month old baby shouldn’t be in daycare.
Disillusioned
Such a naive statement. You have no idea of the family's situation. However, if you had said, "A 6 month old baby shouldn't be in an 'unlicensed' daycare." I would completely agree with you. No child should be in an unlicensed daycare facility at all. In fact, the government should be striving to close them down and replace them with licensed facilities. The fact there are so many of these unlicensed facilities in operation who disregard regulations and staff numbers and training shows a total lack of responsibility by both the local and federal governments. Yes, the daycare situation in Japan's major cities is desperate, but that is no excuse for complacency. In recent years there have been quite a few deaths in childcare facilities, both licensed and unlicensed. Even one death in a childcare facility is too many. Perhaps Abe and his cronies are waiting for the birth rate to drop so low that childcare no longer is a problem before they do anything about it. They only seem to be acknowledging there is a problem and are taking no action for it. Abe has postponed his addressing of the childcare crisis twice since his election. Now his goal is 2020 to do something about it. How many more kids will die before then? And, can we look forward to another postponement from the king of lip-service? These kids are not only dying at daycare facilities. They are also dying at the hands of their own parents who cannot handle the stresses of full-time child raring, which also often culminates in suicide of the parent/s. Today's report of record child abuse supports this fact. It's odd how people state that Japan is facing an uphill battle. Of course it is an uphill battle coz there is so much crap swept under the carpet they have to climb over it all!
peladon
A precious little life lost, such a valuable resource to Japan's future gone, not to be replaced.
Stop the racketeering and quick money making on these so called "day care" centers. Focus on the core problem that both parents need to work arduous hours in order to raise a child in Japan.
Government where are you? you wish to ensure Japan's future by trying to encourage progeneration, yet you are more than willing to take the lucrative taxes offered by a double income with little to no incentive for those who wish to enjoy the wonder of a family unit.
Mike Wyckoff
And the US has the the largest military payroll in the world, spends huge % of GDP and is financially the most debt ridden country in the world. Are you suggesting Japan go that route given their demographics?
juminRhee
Mike:
I guarantee the immense defense budget has far far more to do with contracts and equipment than personnel costs.
Concerned Citizen
Heartbreaking for the parents.
A female friend of mine works at a nursery. Her description of staff numbers per infants has often left me very concerned for the poor babies' welfare. Definitely way too short staffed to properly care for and meet the needs of babies/toddlers. Of course more staff means higher cost for parents. So parents need to decide if it's worth the risk. Tough decision for many.
juminRhee
Contd...
All workers should be salaried or part-owners in a partnership. 45 hour week max...no overtime (overwork also destabilizes family units). A separate housing and food allowance pegged to local CPI in addition to salary must be given (US military does this so members can live close by and allow pay parity between soldier in Hawaii and soldier in Nebraska).
rainyday
Yes, my brother died that way when he was a baby. Just five weeks old, my parents tucked him into his crib, and next thing they knew he was gone. Back in the 70s the risks of babies suffocating on their stomachs weren’t as well known as they are now.
6 months is around the age that this risk goes away and babies are able to breathe normally even if they roll over, It is possible the day care providers let their guard down in a way they wouldn’t have done with a 2 or 3 month old.
lm25cl
Unless you are a single parent (whose partner has passed away or via other sad occurrences) and has no choice but to work to care for your family so that your can "live comfortably off one income". Close-minded opinion on earning circumstances against stay-at-home-and-care-for-your-children circumstances, instead. Tsk!
In general, this article highlights the needs for Child Care Center's regardless of country, to be:
Accountable for their lack of duties/responsibilities to paying families and their children - and the public
Unlicensed or Licensed - their COR remain the sameGovernments can put regulations in place, and monitor - but human greed will not hire more staff, disregarding the most important element in the industry - Taking care of young human lives while the paying parents are earning to support their families.
Condolences are being conveyed to the family of the little one - RIP
Epiphany is being conveyed to/wished upon (and hopefully act for the better) the Center - review your Management, Safety, and HR policies