Editor: What kind of feedback have you received from the sitters who are actually taking care of children through Kizuna Sitter?
Nakamura:Many of the sitters tell us that "I am able to face the children well within the time I am able to work," and that "childcare is really good. Many nursery school teachers originally wanted to become nursery school teachers because they wanted to be able to interact with children, but when it comes to actual group childcare, they face the problem of not being able to spend enough time with each child because of the need for efficiency. Babysitters work on a one-on-one or one-on-two basis, so they can focus on each child's individuality. Parents feel more comfortable knowing that the babysitter is able to respond to each child's individual growth and personality, such as what the child is interested in at the moment, reading books that match the child's interests, and talking to the child in a way that is appropriate for the child.
Safety and security are non-negotiable because we are in the business of taking care of lives. Realizing services that are both convenient and safe
Editor: Is there a reason why the service is available through an app on your phone?
Nakamura:People who use babysitters tend to use them on a regular basis. From this point of view, we thought that a smartphone app would be highly convenient. There have been web-based babysitting services before, but I think ours is probably the first babysitter matching service app that supports both iOS and Android.
Editor: What were the key points you focused on in operating the service?
Nakamura:First of all, we consider safety and security to be our top priority, and we thoroughly explain our services to our sitters in advance. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's guidelines recommend a face-to-face meeting between the guardian and the sitter before leaving the child with the sitter, so we made the app so that the guardian and the sitter can go through the process of requesting a meeting first, rather than just leaving the child with the sitter.
Editor: When actually requesting a service, how long does it take from the interview to using the sitting service?
Nakamura:The time between the interview and the sitting depends on the person, but many parents register with us with the need to use the service on that day, so in most cases there is not much of an interval. In the case of urgent requests such as "I want to use the service tomorrow", we meet with the sitter for an hour on the day of the service to share the rules of the family and the child's situation with the sitter, and then make the request. As I mentioned earlier, it is a prerequisite that the sitter has a license. In addition, when you register, the secretariat and the sitter always meet face-to-face (or via the web system if you are far away). Those who wish to register are all people who have a strong passion for childcare.
