Research on the establishment of day nursery system according to the Child Welfare Act in Japan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K02163
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08020:Social welfare-related
• Research Institution: Seigakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Tazawa Kaoru 聖学院大学, 人文学部, 教授 (70296200)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 保育所 / 児童福祉法 / 吉見静江 / 興望館 / 保育 / セツルメント / 子どもの主体性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In 1947, the Daycare Division was established within the Children's Bureau of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, at the same time as the Child Welfare Act was enacted.Shizue Yoshimi, Director of Kobokan Settlement, has been appointed as Director of the Daycare Division.Yoshimi used many examples of settlement in her administrative explanations regarding day nursery. She introduced many successful programs at Kobokan.
At Kobokan Settlement, from the pre-war period, daycare nurses respected children's self-determination, and children carried out their own decisions. Daycare nurses suggested that children express their feelings. Yoshimi and her staffs identified issues from the children's behavior and managed the childcare curriculum.
From these things, it is believed that Yoshimi advanced her work as Director of the Daycare Division based on her experience at Kobokan Settlement. The childcare provided at Kobokan Settlement is thought to have influenced the day nursery system in Japan.

Free Research Field

保育史　子ども理解　子ども家庭福祉

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

2023年に発足したこども家庭庁が「こどもまんなかの社会」実現を目標として掲げるほど、今日の社会における子ども・子育て支援新制度下の保育は、乳幼児の主体性を尊重する「子どもの育ち」を基盤となし得ていない。そうした現状にあって、本研究が戦前期の事例から子育て家族を包括的に支援するセツルメントの保育実践で個々の子どもの主体が守られていたことを明らかにし、第2次大戦後の保育所制度発足時の保育課長はその実践例を念頭に子ども主体の保育を牽引しようとしたことを指摘できたことは、保育の歴史における知見として有意である。今後の保育の方向性を探る中で、今日の保育に直結する社会的な意義も大きい。