"Don't Let Leaving the Nest at 18 Be the Beginning of Isolation" - 2025 Kotoba Camp® Implementation Report Published. Campaign to Recruit 100 Founding Monthly Supporters Starts April 23.
NPO JAM Network published its 2025 report on 'Kotoba Camp' for foster care children and launched a campaign to recruit 100 monthly supporters to fund communication skills training.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 16:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 08:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 04:39 (20h 37m after Collected)
NPO JAM Network (Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative: Yoshimi Murakami), which delivers communication skills to children in foster care facilities, has published the implementation report for the 2025 program on its official website.
Along with this, starting today, April 23rd, we are launching a campaign to recruit 100 founding members to establish our first monthly supporter system.
Why the power of words is needed now
"Kotoba Camp®", originally developed by JAM Network, is a game-style workshop incorporating play elements to systematically nurture "listening and speaking skills." Since starting activities at foster care facilities in 2008, it has been delivered to a total of 5,000 children and caregivers at 160 facilities as of the end of March 2026.
In Japan, approximately 23,000 children currently live in foster care facilities due to abuse, neglect, and other reasons. Every year, about 2,000 children step out into society alone at the age of 18, but about half of those who leave experience job turnover within a year and a half.
The common background to this is not a problem of "ability", but a lack of experience in "having a voice." In a survey conducted by JAM Network in 2024 (targeting 216 facility staff), 92% of facility staff answered that "children have issues with communication skills," and 90% answered that "lack of communication skills affects independence after leaving the facility" (the same response from parents in general households was 51%).
2025 Implementation Results: Words change
In fiscal year 2025, Kotoba Camp® was implemented at multiple facilities under two grant programs.
■ [Dream Navigator Program] supported by Rohto Children's Dream Fund
An intensive 5-month program was conducted for 7 high school students at 5 facilities in the Kanto area.
▶ Participants' voices (from completion questionnaire)
"I feel like I changed more and more by communicating a lot. So it's important to talk to people without fear of failure."
▶ Facility staff's voices
"A student who was worried about whether they could even get to Tokyo Station gained confidence with each session, and became able to go out alone, transferring trains."
▶ 2025 Implementation Report (Dream Navigator Program)
■ [Kotoba Camp® x Staff Training] supported by Tokyu Children Support Program
An integrated approach of staff training (2 times) and Kotoba Camp for children (3 times) was implemented at St. Francis Children's Home (Ota-ku, Tokyo) (July 2025 - January 2026).
A child who couldn't even hold a pencil in the first session wrote their impressions by their own hand with a smile in the third session.
It was also confirmed that the changes spread to their daily life and school life, with a school teacher saying, "They started raising their hand a lot, made friends, and started talking" (according to facility staff).
As a result of the staff training, practical reports were also received, such as, "By utilizing 'Which one do you want?' when choosing clothes in the morning and making it a choice between two, children became able to choose for themselves, which also led to saving time," and "By changing negative expressions to positive ones, communication with the children goes better than before."
▶ 2025 Implementation Report (Kotoba Camp® x Staff Training Integrated Program)
Starts April 23 | Campaign to recruit 100 founding monthly supporters
Since its establishment in 2003, JAM Network has been involved with about 5,000 children and staff at 160 facilities. However, a stable financial foundation is essential to root the "upbringing that nurtures the power of words" in all approximately 600 facilities nationwide.
In this campaign, we will launch our first monthly supporter system and recruit 100 founding members. Your continuous support will also be the "first vote" towards becoming a certified NPO, which JAM Network is currently aiming for.
Don't let the day they leave the nest be the beginning of isolation: Recruiting monthly supporters to support children in foster care who cannot rely on their parents
Become a supporter
Transitions to the monthly supporter recruitment page.
[Monthly Plans (from 500 yen/month, 16 yen/day)]
- 500 yen/month (16 yen/day): The first step towards the "power of words" for children
- 1,000 yen/month (33 yen/day): Delivers the Kotoba Camp experience to one child
- 3,000 yen/month (97 yen/day): Sustains continuous participation to cement children's growth
- 5,000 yen/month (161 yen/day): Supports up to staff training, delivering a culture of words to the entire facility
Supporter benefits: Thank you letter, annual report, online Kotoba Camp experience, online roundtable discussion with the representative
Founding members only (first 100 people): A special keychain with a membership number will be delivered
Campaign period: Thursday, April 23, 2026 to Friday, June 12, 2026
Representative Comment Yoshimi Murakami (NPO...
Along with this, starting today, April 23rd, we are launching a campaign to recruit 100 founding members to establish our first monthly supporter system.
Why the power of words is needed now
"Kotoba Camp®", originally developed by JAM Network, is a game-style workshop incorporating play elements to systematically nurture "listening and speaking skills." Since starting activities at foster care facilities in 2008, it has been delivered to a total of 5,000 children and caregivers at 160 facilities as of the end of March 2026.
In Japan, approximately 23,000 children currently live in foster care facilities due to abuse, neglect, and other reasons. Every year, about 2,000 children step out into society alone at the age of 18, but about half of those who leave experience job turnover within a year and a half.
The common background to this is not a problem of "ability", but a lack of experience in "having a voice." In a survey conducted by JAM Network in 2024 (targeting 216 facility staff), 92% of facility staff answered that "children have issues with communication skills," and 90% answered that "lack of communication skills affects independence after leaving the facility" (the same response from parents in general households was 51%).
2025 Implementation Results: Words change
In fiscal year 2025, Kotoba Camp® was implemented at multiple facilities under two grant programs.
■ [Dream Navigator Program] supported by Rohto Children's Dream Fund
An intensive 5-month program was conducted for 7 high school students at 5 facilities in the Kanto area.
▶ Participants' voices (from completion questionnaire)
"I feel like I changed more and more by communicating a lot. So it's important to talk to people without fear of failure."
▶ Facility staff's voices
"A student who was worried about whether they could even get to Tokyo Station gained confidence with each session, and became able to go out alone, transferring trains."
▶ 2025 Implementation Report (Dream Navigator Program)
■ [Kotoba Camp® x Staff Training] supported by Tokyu Children Support Program
An integrated approach of staff training (2 times) and Kotoba Camp for children (3 times) was implemented at St. Francis Children's Home (Ota-ku, Tokyo) (July 2025 - January 2026).
A child who couldn't even hold a pencil in the first session wrote their impressions by their own hand with a smile in the third session.
It was also confirmed that the changes spread to their daily life and school life, with a school teacher saying, "They started raising their hand a lot, made friends, and started talking" (according to facility staff).
As a result of the staff training, practical reports were also received, such as, "By utilizing 'Which one do you want?' when choosing clothes in the morning and making it a choice between two, children became able to choose for themselves, which also led to saving time," and "By changing negative expressions to positive ones, communication with the children goes better than before."
▶ 2025 Implementation Report (Kotoba Camp® x Staff Training Integrated Program)
Starts April 23 | Campaign to recruit 100 founding monthly supporters
Since its establishment in 2003, JAM Network has been involved with about 5,000 children and staff at 160 facilities. However, a stable financial foundation is essential to root the "upbringing that nurtures the power of words" in all approximately 600 facilities nationwide.
In this campaign, we will launch our first monthly supporter system and recruit 100 founding members. Your continuous support will also be the "first vote" towards becoming a certified NPO, which JAM Network is currently aiming for.
Don't let the day they leave the nest be the beginning of isolation: Recruiting monthly supporters to support children in foster care who cannot rely on their parents
Become a supporter
Transitions to the monthly supporter recruitment page.
[Monthly Plans (from 500 yen/month, 16 yen/day)]
- 500 yen/month (16 yen/day): The first step towards the "power of words" for children
- 1,000 yen/month (33 yen/day): Delivers the Kotoba Camp experience to one child
- 3,000 yen/month (97 yen/day): Sustains continuous participation to cement children's growth
- 5,000 yen/month (161 yen/day): Supports up to staff training, delivering a culture of words to the entire facility
Supporter benefits: Thank you letter, annual report, online Kotoba Camp experience, online roundtable discussion with the representative
Founding members only (first 100 people): A special keychain with a membership number will be delivered
Campaign period: Thursday, April 23, 2026 to Friday, June 12, 2026
Representative Comment Yoshimi Murakami (NPO...