Daily Life Lessons · Childcare
When you have trouble raising your child, be able to choose the right place to consult, such as your municipality's Children and Family Center or nationwide numbers like #8000 and 189, and seek advice yourself.
Don't keep childcare worries to yourself; ask for advice. Your municipality's Children and Family Center (こども家庭センター) takes consultations from pregnant women, families raising children, and children themselves, and connects them with the support they need. The name and location differ by municipality.
At Community Childcare Support Centers (地域子育て支援拠点, such as 子育て支援センター), parents and children can play together, meet other parents and casually ask for advice.
If your child suddenly becomes ill at night or on a holiday and you are unsure whether to go to a hospital, call #8000 (Children's Medical Telephone Consultation, 子ども医療電話相談) to get advice from doctors, nurses or other professionals. If you are worried about child abuse, call 189 (the Child Guidance Center Abuse Hotline, 児童相談所虐待対応ダイヤル) to be connected to a nearby child guidance center (児童相談所) (free of charge, and you may remain anonymous). For worries about raising children, you can also call the child guidance center consultation line 0120-189-783 (free). If a life is in danger, call 119 without hesitation.
子育て（こそだて）で 困ったら、相談（そうだん）しましょう。
- こども家庭（かてい）センター：市（し）や 区（く）の 相談の 窓口（まどぐち）です。名前は 市や 区で ちがいます。 - 子育て支援（しえん）センター：親子で 遊んだり、話したり できます。 - #8000：夜や 休みの日に 子どもが 急に 病気に なったとき、電話で 相談できます。 - 189：虐待（ぎゃくたい）が 心配な ときに 電話します。近くの 児童相談所（じどうそうだんじょ）に つながります。お金は かかりません。名前を 言わなくても いいです。 - 0120-189-783：子育ての なやみを 児童相談所に 相談できます。お金は かかりません。
とても 危ない ときは、119に 電話します。
Which municipal service gives advice from pregnancy through child-raising?
The Children and Family Center takes consultations from pregnant and postpartum women, families raising children and children, and connects them with the support they need.
Your child suddenly gets a fever at night and you are unsure whether to go to a hospital. Which number do you call?
#8000 is the Children's Medical Telephone Consultation. It connects you to your prefecture's consultation service.
Which statement about 189 is correct?
189 is the Child Guidance Center Abuse Hotline. Child guidance centers also take consultations about children other than abuse, and there is a dedicated consultation line, 0120-189-783 (free).
What do you do in a life-threatening situation, such as your child not breathing?
If a life is in danger, call 119 for an ambulance without hesitation.
Where can parents and children play together and meet other parents?
At Community Childcare Support Centers, you can meet others and ask for advice casually.
Q. My Japanese is not very good. Can I still get advice?
A. Some municipalities provide interpreters or translation devices. First, ask your municipal counter which languages are available. Bringing an acquaintance who speaks Japanese is another option.
Q. If I ask for advice, will my child be taken away?
A. Consultations are meant to support families and children. You can consult 189 anonymously, and the identity of the person consulting and the content of the consultation are said to be kept confidential. For worries about raising children, you can also use the child guidance center consultation line (0120-189-783) or your municipality's Children and Family Center. When you are having trouble, it is important to ask for advice early.
Q. Can I reach #8000 at any time?
A. The hours differ by prefecture (nights only, 24 hours, etc.). Check the hours for your prefecture in advance.
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Systems and procedures may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live and on the time of year. Please check the latest information from your local government or the relevant organizations.
Content checked on: 2026-09-28
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. If the translation and the original differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. View the Japanese original