Tokyo announces free daycare—but will it solve the birthrate crisis?

Big news out of Tokyo, Japan: Starting next September, daycare will be free for all preschool-aged children. Yes, all of them. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced this groundbreaking policy (as reported by the AFP) in an effort to tackle Japan’s plummeting birthrate, a challenge that’s been called nothing short of a demographic crisis.

The move expands existing free daycare benefits, which currently apply to second-born and subsequent children, to include first-borns as well. It’s a major step aimed at lightening the financial load for families. Governor Koike also hinted at other pro-family policies, like offering a four-day workweek for government staffers. These efforts are part of a broader push to create a society where starting—and expanding—a family feels more possible.

But here’s the real talk: While free daycare is a critical piece of the puzzle, the data shows that free childcare services alone won’t necessarily inspire more women to have children, as recently reported by The Wall Street Journal. Here’s why.

It’s her choice

Women’s decisions about whether (or when) to have children are deeply personal—and complicated. From career aspirations to financial stability to personal fulfillment, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. And frankly, that’s how it should be. Women deserve to make choices about their futures free from pressure or guilt.

But let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: for too long, women’s needs—especially as they relate to caregiving—have been neglected by systems and institutions. It’s not just about free daycare. It’s about making motherhood (and life in general) manageable with societal support that empowers women to thrive. 

Related: Child-Free by Choice: This Mom’s Honest Talk Is Going Viral for the Right Reasons 

We need to build a global culture of support for women

The truth is, even significant policies like free childcare won’t erase the bigger issues holding women back. What we really need is a culture that centers and supports women at all stages of life: from navigating early career hurdles to thriving during motherhood, from conquering menopause to managing eldercare. This means rethinking work structures, investing in gender equity, and creating policies that value women as humans, not just potential mothers. 

In too many societies across the world, women are still viewed as secondary and subservient to men. To a new generation of Millennial women who globally are reaching unprecedented heights in their education, careers and financial power, being told to fulfill every traditional social expectation of motherhood is an affront. Until men step up, take the burden off women, and show up as equal parents, women will use their burgeoning power to make choices that align their personal ambitions with motherhood in new ways. In other words, to women today, professional and personal autonomy may be more important than having a lot of kids—or having kids at all.

Until women feel like they’re stepping into a world where raising children is affordable, equitable, and supported by a strong community, many will continue to pause—or forgo—parenthood altogether. And can you blame them?

A holistic solution for women (and the world)

Tokyo is taking bold steps to address its population challenges, and that deserves applause. Free daycare is no small feat, especially in a city of 37 million people. But to truly move the needle, we need more: robust parental leave policies, workplace flexibility, affordable housing, healthcare, gender equity and cultural shifts that value caregiving—for children and aging parents alike.

The bottom line? We need to build systems that work with women, not against them. When women feel supported—not just in raising children, but in all aspects of life—maybe then the birthrate will rise. Until then, Tokyo’s new daycare policy is a step in the right direction, but the marathon to a more equitable future has only just begun.

Let’s keep running.

Sources:

1. Free daycare in Tokyo. The Japan Times. 2024. “Tokyo to make day care free to boost birth rate.”
2. Reducing workweek to boost family time. CNN. 2024. “Tokyo government gives workers 4-day workweek to boost fertility, family time.”
3. Baby shortage. WSJ. 2024. “Worldwide Efforts to Reverse the Baby Shortage Are Falling Flat”
4. Women changing economy. AOL. 2024. “Millennial women, congratulations—you’re the economy’s new power players.” 
5. Women in Asia vs. the U.S. Harvard Business Review. 2015. “Women in Asia Are More Financially Savvy than Women in the U.S.”