[Hyogo, Nishinomiya] Aiming for a 'society where children can be children,' new initiatives are launched

Tane to Shizuku Library is supported by donations from approximately 50 "one-box bookshelf" supporters.

▪️ New Initiatives for this Fiscal Year

NPO Kodomo Support Station Tane to Shizuku will launch new specialized activities within "after-school spaces," in addition to its existing community spaces and support activities.
The aim is to utilize after-school hours to increase opportunities for children to participate actively.

(1) Specialized Activities in After-School Spaces
① Library Club (Library Activities)
Activities will focus on reading books and expressing one's feelings. Emphasis will be placed on diverse self-expression, not only through reading but also through writing and speaking.
② Volunteer Club
Activities where children themselves shape what they "want to do."
They will accumulate small practical experiences while engaging with the community.

(2) Mental Health Initiatives
"Hitoiki Time" (Breather Time) will be implemented as a time for casual conversation within the community space.
This will not be a special consultation setting, but an extension of daily life, providing an opportunity to pause and talk.
It will be operated in a flexible manner to respond to voices like, "I want someone to listen," or "I want to organize my thoughts a bit."
A psychologist will be present once a month.

▪️ Continuation of Existing Programs and Recruitment

We are recruiting users for the following activities this fiscal year:

・Kotoba no Niwa (Garden of Words) (Targeting children who are truant or isolated from single-parent households or households facing financial difficulties)
It is a safe place where children can value words and expression. (Recruiting 5 people)
"Kotoba no Niwa," a safe place for truant children from single-parent households.

・After-school learning support
We provide learning support tailored to each child's pace. (Recruiting 10 people)
Learning support "Manabi no Tobira" (Door to Learning)

・Home visit support (Targeting single-parent households)
We visit homes as needed to provide support for daily life and learning. (Recruiting 5 households)
Staff and students visit in pairs.

These activities are being reviewed to be more flexibly accessible this year, based on past experiences.

▪️ Why are these initiatives needed now?

In recent years, the environment surrounding adolescents has changed significantly.
In our city, a certain number of children find it difficult to attend school, with approximately 800 junior high school students experiencing truancy.
Furthermore, many children are prone to isolation in their daily lives due to multiple overlapping factors such as family environment, interpersonal relationships, and economic constraints.
In addition, the suicide rate among teenagers in our city is approximately twice the Hyogo Prefecture average, making the response to mental health problems in adolescence an urgent issue.
On the other hand, public places where junior and senior high school students can continuously use are limited, and particularly,
・Children who are not attending school
・Children with significant family burdens
・Children who have difficulties in interpersonal relationships
are less likely to connect with support.
Moreover, the hurdle of "going for consultation" itself is high, and even if problems arise, support is not always immediately available. As a result, cases where support is sought only after the situation has become serious are also observed.
In our organization's past practices, there have been cases where children consulted naturally within the community space, leading to early resolution of issues, and cases where family situations were identified and connected to relevant agencies such as child guidance centers.

Against this background, this project aims to build a community-based support system for children as a "third safety net," supplementing the gap between administrative support (public assistance) and family support (self-help).
Specifically, we aim to create a place where children can continuously attend with "fun" as a trigger, and achieve the following outcomes:

■ Continuous Participation with Psychological Safety
・Number of teenage users of the community space: Daily average of 10 people → increasing to 13 people
・Users who feel "safe and secure": Over 80%

■ Acquisition of Self-Management Skills for Emotions and Life
・Mental health experiential programs: More than 8 sessions per year
(Art, music, cooking, sports, etc.)
・Users who report learning about self-care: Over 70%

■ Formation of Connections with Trustworthy Adults
・Users who report having "adults they can talk to safely": Over 70%
・Establishment of a system for daily monitoring and early detection through regular interaction.

■ Provision of Dialogue Opportunities to Prevent Intensification
・Implementation of Hitoiki Time: More than 24 times per year
・Referrals to specialized institutions as needed: Approximately 10 cases per year

Through these initiatives, we aim to:
・Prevent prolonged truancy and isolation
・Improve self-esteem
・Build secure relationships
・Strengthen the overall community support system

This project, as a "community model" for addressing children's mental health problems at an early stage, also has an eye on future expansion to other regions.

■ Inquiries regarding this matter
NPO Kodomo Support Station