This is a translation of the Japanese original. The Japanese version and Osaka City's official notices are authoritative.
Osaka City is giving children aged 0 to 2 who do not use a daycare centre or similar facility an electronic coupon worth ¥100,000 per child per year, usable for things like nappies, formula milk and temporary childcare. In the first year, fiscal year 2026 (Japan's fiscal year runs April–March), the amount is ¥50,000. Distribution starts in late November or later, and the coupon is received through the Osaka City Child-rearing Support App (大阪市子育てサポートアプリ)[Osaka City, electronic coupon distribution (in Japanese)].
From the same month, September 2026, families who use a daycare centre also pay no daycare fees, even for their first child. For families with a child aged 0 to 2, the combination is: free daycare if the child attends, or the coupon if not[Osaka City, free daycare for children aged 0 to 2 (in Japanese)].
In short: eligible if your child aged 0 to 2 does not use a daycare centre. ¥50,000 in fiscal 2026
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Eligible | Children aged 0 to 2 living in Osaka City who do not use a childcare facility |
| Amount | Points worth ¥100,000 per year per child (¥50,000 in fiscal 2026) |
| How often | For the fiscal year of birth, and for each fiscal year in which the child turns 1, 2 and 3 |
| Reference dates | Twice a year (1 April and 1 October). The city checks whether the child lives in the city and whether a childcare facility is used |
| How to receive | Osaka City Child-rearing Support App. Distribution from late November 2026 or later |
| Application | The city plans to send application guidance to eligible families. The exact timing and method will be posted on the city's page |
| Income limit | The city's notice mentions no income limit |
Based on Osaka City's "Electronic coupon distribution" page and the press release "Support for home-based childcare" (19 February 2026). The fiscal 2026 budget is ¥2.712 billion.
Are you eligible? Using a licensed daycare centre, a certified centre for early childhood education and care, or company-led daycare rules you out
The following count as "childcare facilities", and using them makes a child ineligible.
- Licensed daycare centres (認可保育所)
- Certified centres for early childhood education and care (認定こども園)
- Community-based childcare (地域型保育事業), such as small-scale daycare
- Kindergartens (for children who have turned 3)
- Company-led daycare (企業主導型保育事業)
- Child development support facilities (児童発達支援施設), etc.
Unlicensed childcare (such as babysitters) is among the things the coupon can be spent on, but the city's notice does not say whether families who regularly use unlicensed childcare are eligible. Moving out of the city ends eligibility.
The city checks facility use twice a year, on 1 April and 1 October. How a child who starts or leaves a facility partway through the year will be treated has not yet been announced.
How much per child? Up to four payments, starting from the fiscal year of birth
The coupon is given for the fiscal year of birth and for each fiscal year in which the child turns 1, 2 and 3. The last one is for the fiscal year in which the child turns 3 (up to 31 March of that fiscal year).
| Child born in fiscal 2026 | Fiscal year | Coupon |
|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year of birth | FY2026 | ¥50,000 |
| Fiscal year of 1st birthday | FY2027 | ¥100,000 |
| Fiscal year of 2nd birthday | FY2028 | ¥100,000 |
| Fiscal year of 3rd birthday | FY2029 | ¥100,000 |
| Total | ¥350,000 |
An estimate assuming the child never uses a childcare facility and the scheme and amounts stay as they are. Budgets from fiscal 2027 onward are decided by the city assembly each year.
Children who are now 1 or 2 are also eligible for ¥50,000 in fiscal 2026. With two children, each receives their own coupon.
What it can be used for: temporary childcare, postnatal care, nappies, formula milk and babysitters
| Type | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Childcare support services | Postnatal care, child-rearing helpers, "Children's Universal Daycare Access" (こども誰でも通園制度), temporary childcare, sick-child care, short stays for children, etc. Pay by scanning the facility's QR code |
| Catalogue gifts | Baby goods such as nappies and formula milk, clothing, toys, hygiene products, safety goods such as bicycle helmets, and unlicensed childcare (private babysitters, etc.) |
The specific items will be decided on the proposal of the operator the city selects. The coupon cannot be exchanged for cash.
Coupons received from a city or other local government are treated as occasional income, but no tax is due as long as the total with any other occasional income stays within the special deduction of ¥500,000 a year. A comparison with child-rearing benefits across Japan is in our roundup of child-rearing support nationwide.
What has not been decided yet
- Whether an application is needed, and if so how and by when (the city says it "plans to identify eligible families and send them application guidance")
- The coupon's expiry date
- How starting or leaving a facility, or moving into the city, partway through the year will be treated
- The exact distribution date
The city says it will post the application method and other details on the distribution page. Families likely to be eligible can install the Osaka City Child-rearing Support App now so they can receive the coupon as soon as distribution begins. For enquiries, contact the Osaka City Child-rearing Support App call centre (06-7178-3005).
Summary
- Osaka City gives children aged 0 to 2 who do not use a daycare centre or similar an electronic coupon worth ¥100,000 per child per year. In fiscal 2026 it is ¥50,000
- Distribution is from late November or later, through the Osaka City Child-rearing Support App. No income limit is mentioned
- It is given for the fiscal year of birth and for each fiscal year in which the child turns 1, 2 and 3; a child born in fiscal 2026 could receive up to ¥350,000 (estimate)
- It can be used for support services such as temporary childcare and postnatal care, and for catalogue items such as nappies, formula milk and babysitters
- Families who use daycare pay no fees from September, even for the first child. The application method and expiry date will be announced later
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Sources
- Osaka City, "Electronic coupons for childcare support services to be distributed from late November 2026" (in Japanese)
- Osaka City press release, "Support for home-based childcare" (19 February 2026, in Japanese)
- Osaka City press release, "Free daycare for children aged 0 to 2" (19 February 2026, in Japanese)
- National Tax Agency, Tax Answer No. 1490 "Occasional income" (in Japanese)
This article provides general information based on materials published by Osaka City as of 20 October 2026. The city's future announcements on the application method and other details take precedence.