Abstract
In recent years, the number of foreign nationals in Japan has been increasing, resulting in a corresponding increase in the number of foreign infants in childcare centers. e purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges that childcare centers encounter when dealing with special needs foreign infants. An interview survey was conducted with six employees from daycare centers located in urban dispersed areas in the Tokyo metropolitan area and northern Kyushu. The collected data were analyzed using the M-GTA method. The analysis identified 118 episodes, which were further categorized into 8 major categories, 32 minor categories, and 53 concepts. e challenges faced by childcare centers encompassed the need for comprehensive support in addressing developmental, emotional, and family-related issues. Play-based support was found to be effective for children, while parents' needs included addressing interpretation, accessing multilingual resources, and fostering collaboration with local professional organizations.
