Strengthening cooperation for childcare support in addition to community watch: Signing ceremony with Kawachi Town on Tuesday, April 7 [Ibaraki Tochigi]

Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi (Headquarters: Baika, Mito City; Representative Director: Yasuyo Aoki) and Kawachi Town (Mayor: Ryoji Nozawa) will hold a signing ceremony for a partnership agreement to promote childcare support at Kawachi Town Hall from 2 PM on Tuesday, April 7. Through the cooperation of the administration and the cooperative, they will promote the creation of an environment where citizens can raise children with peace of mind and all children can grow up healthy.

### Set of bath salts and baby wipes to care for mothers

Based on the agreement, Kawachi Town will distribute guidance cards during "late-pregnancy interviews" as a gift from the town to support pregnancy and childcare, introducing "products useful for childcare (Hotto Hitoiki Mama BOX)". The gifts include bath salts to care for mothers, organic tea, and Pal System original baby wipes.

Households wishing to receive the gifts can apply via the QR code on the guidance card, and Pal System, which provides childcare support services, will visit to hand-deliver the gifts. They will also provide information on administrative childcare support systems and related consultation services, expanding the network of support for childcare households.

The town previously signed a "Partnership Agreement for Cooperation in Community Watch Activities" in 2014. Utilizing the infrastructure of cooperative home delivery, which delivers within the community on the same day and time each week, they have promoted activities to protect the safety of the local community by coordinating with the administration and responding to emergency calls when abnormalities are noticed at users' homes or in the community. With the signing of this agreement, they will further promote comprehensive mutual support, including outreach to childcare households.

This is the 26th partnership agreement with municipalities since the initiative began in fiscal year 2024, expanding community-wide childcare support throughout the prefecture.

**Signing Ceremony for the "Partnership Agreement for the Promotion of Childcare Support" with Kawachi Town**

[Date & Time] From 2 PM on Tuesday, April 7, 2026

[Venue] Kawachi Town Hall, 2nd Floor Large Conference Room (1183 Genseida, Kawachi-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture)

[Attendees] Ryoji Nozawa, Mayor of Kawachi Town Yasuyo Aoki, Representative Director of Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi Consumers' Co-operative Union

### Childcare support with community-rooted cooperative infrastructure

Pal System visits the same area of Kawachi Town once a week for home delivery. Utilizing its close-knit community infrastructure, it delivers information on original products useful for childcare, exchange events related to childcare held with users, and its independently operated childcare website "Kosodate 123." Through the power of cooperation from diverse connections, it supports childcare households.

Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi will continue to aim for community development where everyone can raise children with peace of mind, collaborating with local governments and various people as a consumer cooperative that actively disseminates childcare information.