Theory of Childcare Practice 1: Childcare and the Childcare Professional

Choose the ONE statement that best describes the purpose of a nursery (保育所) under Article 39 of the Child Welfare Act (児童福祉法).

1. To admit children without guardians or children who are abused, care for them, and help former residents become independent
2. To admit infants, raise them, and give counselling and other help to those who have left
3. To provide childcare for infants and young children who need childcare and who come daily from their guardians
4. To have children with disabilities come daily from their guardians and provide specialised child development support
5. To admit women without a spouse and their children, protect them, and support their independence

Choose the ONE most appropriate statement about nursery childcare hours under the Standards for Facilities and Operation of Child Welfare Institutions (児童福祉施設の設備及び運営に関する基準).

1. 6 hours a day in principle, set by the mayor of the municipality
2. 8 hours a day in principle, set by the head of the nursery
3. 8 hours a day in principle, set by the prefectural governor
4. 10 hours a day in principle, set by the head of the nursery
5. 11 hours a day at most, set by the Prime Minister

Under Article 33(2) of the Standards for Facilities and Operation of Child Welfare Institutions (児童福祉施設の設備及び運営に関する基準) (main text, as of October 2026), choose the ONE correct set of the approximate number of children per nursery teacher, in the order: infants / age 1 to under 3 / age 3 to under 4 / age 4 and over.

1. 3 / 6 / 15 / 25
2. 3 / 6 / 20 / 30
3. 4 / 8 / 15 / 25
4. 3 / 5 / 15 / 30
5. 2 / 6 / 20 / 25

Choose the TWO that are 'child welfare facilities' under Article 7 of the Child Welfare Act (児童福祉法).

1. Child Guidance Center (児童相談所)
2. Foster Parent Support Center (里親支援センター)
3. After-School Children's Club Project (放課後児童健全育成事業)
4. Community Childrearing Support Hub Project (地域子育て支援拠点事業)
5. Child Development Support Center (児童発達支援センター)

Choose the ONE most appropriate description of a Children's Home (児童養護施設) under the Child Welfare Act (児童福祉法).

1. It is only for infants; children older than infants cannot be admitted
2. Its main purpose is to admit children who find it hard to adapt to social life for a short time and give psychological treatment
3. Its only purpose is guidance for children who have committed, or may commit, delinquent acts
4. It admits children who need care because of their environment, cares for them, and helps former residents become independent
5. Its purpose covers only support during admission and does not include counselling or help for former residents

Choose the ONE most appropriate statement about the self-reliance support plan in a Children's Home (児童養護施設) under the Standards for Facilities and Operation of Child Welfare Institutions (児童福祉施設の設備及び運営に関する基準).

1. The head of the Child Guidance Center (児童相談所) makes one plan for the whole facility
2. The same plan is made for all children in care, without dealing with individual circumstances
3. It only needs to be made when a child leaves the facility
4. If the guardian agrees, there is no need to hear the child's opinions and wishes
5. The head of the facility makes it for each child in care, based on the child's opinions and wishes and family situation

Choose the ONE that the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針) and the Standards for Facilities and Operation of Child Welfare Institutions (児童福祉施設の設備及び運営に関する基準) describe as the defining characteristic of childcare at a nursery.

1. It focuses on education, while families take care of keeping children alive and emotionally stable
2. It teaches elementary-school subjects in advance
3. It is centred on whole-group activities directed by the nursery teacher
4. It provides care (養護) and education as one integrated whole
5. All children stay for the same hours regardless of their guardians' situation

Choose the ONE most appropriate description of the 'overall plan' (全体的な計画) in the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針).

1. A weekly plan that a class teacher makes only for their own class
2. A plan only for children aged 3 and over, not including children under 3
3. A plan for childrearing at home that guardians make and hand in to the nursery
4. Once made, it never needs to change and is not subject to evaluation or review
5. It shows the whole picture of the nursery's childcare and is the basis for teaching plans, health plans, food education plans and so on

Choose the ONE most appropriate statement about teaching plans (指導計画) in the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針).

1. Only short-term teaching plans are made; the long-term outlook is left to the overall plan
2. A long-term plan that looks ahead to children's life and development and, linked to it, a short-term plan based on daily life are made
3. Long-term and short-term plans are made separately, without linking them
4. The same plan is used every year, regardless of the season or children's actual life
5. A short-term plan is simply a copy of the event schedule decided at the parents' meeting

Choose the TWO appropriate statements about making teaching plans under the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針).

1. For children under 3, make individual plans based on each child's history, physical and mental development and actual activities
2. In mixed-age groups, give everyone the same support, matched to the development of the oldest child
3. Children aged 3 and over mainly do group activities, so each child's growth is not considered in the plan
4. For children aged 3 and over, take care to encourage individual growth, relationships among children and cooperative activities
5. For children under 3, make one plan for the whole class and no individual plans

Choose the ONE most appropriate way of handling nap time (午睡) under the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針).

1. To set the rhythm of life, all children sleep at the same time for the same length
2. Nap time must not be given to children aged 3 and over
3. Ensure a safe sleep environment and avoid a uniform approach, since hours at the nursery and sleep needs differ
4. Napping is a family matter, so the nursery does whatever guardians want and takes no care itself
5. Aim to let children sleep as long as possible, regardless of their hours at the nursery

Choose the ONE most appropriate point to keep in mind for self-evaluation by nursery teachers under the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針).

1. Pay close attention not only to what children did and the results, but also to their emotional growth, motivation and the process of their efforts
2. Rank children against each other and judge the outcome of childcare by the ranking
3. Evaluate only by the result of an activity: whether the child could do it or not
4. Only the head of the facility does self-evaluation, once a year
5. Do not use childcare records for evaluation; use them only for reports to guardians

Choose the TWO appropriate statements about the nursery's self-evaluation under the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針) and the Standards for Facilities and Operation of Child Welfare Institutions (児童福祉施設の設備及び運営に関する基準).

1. The results are internal documents of the nursery and must not be made public
2. Each staff member freely decides the viewpoints and items of evaluation; a shared understanding among all staff is not needed
3. The nursery evaluates itself and must make efforts to publish the results
4. Receiving evaluation by outside parties every year is mandatory, with penalties for not doing so
5. In evaluating, it is desirable to hear the opinions of guardians, local residents and others

Choose the ONE most appropriate statement about carrying out teaching plans under the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針).

1. Set up a proper division of roles and cooperation among all staff, including the head of the facility and nursery teachers
2. Records of the childcare process are for handing out to guardians and are not used to review the plan
3. Following the plan comes first; the plan is not changed even when children's activities change
4. Carrying out the plan is only the class teacher's job; other staff are not involved
5. Children following the teacher's instructions comes before children developing activities on their own

Choose the ONE most appropriate statement about a nursery teacher (保育士) as defined in Article 18-4 of the Child Welfare Act (児童福祉法).

1. Once you pass the exam, you can call yourself a nursery teacher without registering
2. A nursery teacher's work is limited to childcare and does not include supporting guardians
3. A person who is registered, uses the title nursery teacher, and works in childcare and in childcare guidance for children's guardians
4. The law prohibits anyone without the qualification from any involvement with children at a nursery
5. The term covers only people working at nurseries, not staff at Children's Homes (児童養護施設) and similar facilities

Choose the TWO appropriate statements about the duties of nursery teachers under the Child Welfare Act (児童福祉法).

1. The ban on acts that damage trust covers only acts during working hours, not private life
2. The duty not to reveal secrets learned through work continues even after the person stops being a nursery teacher
3. Breaching the confidentiality duty can lead to cancelled registration but not to a criminal penalty
4. Only the mayor of the municipality can cancel a nursery teacher's registration
5. A person who is not a nursery teacher must not use the title nursery teacher or a confusingly similar title

A nursery teacher notices signs that a child seems to have been abused. In light of the law and the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針), choose the ONE most appropriate response.

1. Because of the confidentiality duty, the teacher cannot report without the guardian's consent
2. The teacher must not report until there is firm evidence of abuse
3. Reports can only go to the police, so the teacher contacts the police
4. To solve it inside the nursery, the teacher tells no outside agency
5. Confidentiality rules do not prevent reporting, so the teacher promptly reports to the municipality, a Child Guidance Center (児童相談所) or similar

Choose the ONE that is NOT among the eight items of the National Association of Nursery Teachers' Code of Ethics (全国保育士会倫理綱領).

1. Respect for the best interests of the child
2. Proper collection of childcare fees
3. Advocacy for users
4. Teamwork and self-evaluation
5. Childrearing support in the community

Choose the ONE that best describes 'advocacy for users' (利用者の代弁) in the National Association of Nursery Teachers' Code of Ethics (全国保育士会倫理綱領).

1. Protecting personal information and secrets learned through childcare
2. Valuing teamwork at work and cooperation with other related professional agencies
3. Taking in children's needs and speaking for them from the child's standpoint, and also speaking for the needs of all guardians raising children
4. Always working to improve one's own humanity and expertise through training and self-study
5. Supporting childrearing with local people and agencies and helping build an environment for raising children in the community

Choose the ONE most appropriate statement about the community role of nurseries and nursery teachers under Article 48-4 of the Child Welfare Act (児童福祉法).

1. Consultation about childcare for infants and young children is limited to guardians of enrolled children
2. Providing information to local residents is a duty to make efforts, while consultation and advice are mandatory
3. Community childrearing consultation is the municipality's job, so nurseries do not do it
4. As long as it does not interfere with its childcare, a nursery makes efforts to give consultation and advice to local residents about childcare for infants and young children
5. Improving nursery teachers' knowledge and skills is a personal choice and is not set in law