Ikoma City Recruits Participants for 'Family Study Abroad' Program to Help Young Generation Design Their Future

The program was first held in the fiscal year of Reiwa 7. Last year, there were 2 applicants and 6 registered host families.

Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, will implement an experiential program called 'Family Study Abroad' where young people can visit local parenting families for half a day to interact with children and have dialogues with senior mothers and fathers. Participants from last year said, 'I was able to have a deep conversation with parenting individuals whom I usually don't interact with, which became a significant learning experience for considering my future way of life.' The program is implemented as an opportunity to think about future life design.

Purpose of the Project

Ikoma City has developed as a residential city, leveraging its excellent natural environment and convenient transportation to the Osaka metropolitan area. In a lifestyle where time spent outside the city, including commuting and schooling, is long, opportunities for young people to naturally interact with local parenting families are almost non-existent.

On the other hand, according to the results of the national census, the proportion of dual-income households with children under 18 in the city has increased significantly from 35.0% in Heisei 12 to 66.4% in Reiwa 2. Over the past 20 years, the way of family life has changed drastically. For young people who grew up in an era when households with full-time homemakers were mainstream, the gap between the current reality where dual-income is the norm and their own future image may lead to anxiety and confusion.

Therefore, the city aims to provide opportunities for young people, who have few chances to learn about families and parenting other than 'the family they grew up in,' to experience diverse family structures and parenting styles, and support them in designing their own life plans. The city will implement this project for this purpose.

For host families, receiving questions from young people that they usually don't think about can increase dialogue between couples and provide an opportunity to reconsider the way of their family. For children, interacting with young people whom they usually don't interact with can be an opportunity to experience relationships with diverse people.

Played with children at the host family's home and experienced interactions with children according to their age

Recruiting participants who want to study abroad

・Eligibility: Residents, workers, and students aged 18-39 in the city

　※Marital status is not an issue. Participation as a single person, couple, married couple, or with friends is also possible.

・Capacity: 10 people (on a first-come, first-served basis)

・Fee: Free

・Application: By February 28, 2027 (Sun), through the application form on the special website