2025 Sees Record Nursery Bankruptcies: Childcare Industry Shifts from 'Quantity' to 'Quality' – Seminar on Building 'Preferred Nurseries' Amidst Shortages

Oisix ra daichi Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Kohei Takashima), which provides food subscription services, is hosting an online seminar for childcare facility operators titled 'Tips for Building Nurseries in an Era of Declining Enrollment and Staff Shortages: Childcare Support Provider Joint Seminar 2026' on July 14 (Tue) and 15 (Wed), 2026. This is the second annual event, featuring the 'Sukusuku Oisix' meal service and five other companies providing unique solutions to childcare challenges. This year, nurseries currently using these services will also speak, sharing real-world experiences to provide practical hints for solving facility challenges. In recent years, while the elimination of waiting lists has progressed due to the declining birthrate, new issues such as under-enrollment and the risk of nursery closures have emerged. In fact, the number of bankruptcies among childcare operators reached a record high in 2025, and over 40% of operators are seeing deteriorating performance, marking a major turning point for the industry. Against this backdrop, the childcare industry is shifting from a 'quantity' phase focused on securing capacity to a 'quality' phase where nurseries are chosen based on their value. Furthermore, with the nationwide rollout of the 'Universal Childcare System' this fiscal year, creating new touchpoints with families who previously did not use nurseries is becoming crucial. Meanwhile, staff shortages and operational burdens persist, making business efficiency and the use of external services essential for maintaining and improving childcare quality. This seminar brings together six companies providing unique solutions to the industry's diverse challenges. Focusing on the 'three shortages'—children, staff, and funds—the companies will present the latest industry trends and practical case studies in areas such as school lunches, human resources, DX, parent support, and disaster prevention. As a new initiative, user nurseries will also participate to share how they have utilized these solutions to improve their operations.