Makuhari Bay Park Area Management Opens "Childcare Share Center Cocco," a New Initiative to Promote Mutual Assistance in Childcare in the Community

Establishment of "Childcare Share Center Cocco" by Makuhari Bay Park Area Management Organization

- The following is content from the press release -

Makuhari Bay Park Area Management (located in Mihama-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture; Representative Director: Mineshi Endo; commonly known as B-Pam) is a new initiative to create a sustainable community where residents can continue to live on their own initiative, Established a new community facility "Child Rearing Share Center Cocco" where people can rely on each other for childcare.

The unveiling will be held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. and the opening will be held on Friday, August 25, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

Cocco is a childcare sharing center that provides a community environment based on the principles of "cosodate (co-parenting)," "cooperation," and "community. Cocco is a community-based organization with the following principles Realization of a child-rearing mutual-help community where people share child-rearing skills and support each other in the community. We will continue to work toward the following goals

By sharing parenting skills and resources with each other, Creating a space that nurtures the future of the city as a "just right childcare support facility" that is not overstretched for both users and operators. The following is a summary of the results of the project.

We will work in partnership with individuals, groups, and companies that support this initiative to create a sustainable local mutual aid community at the local level. We hope that this initiative will spread nationwide and become a new model case for the regional child-rearing support center projects promoted by the national and local governments.

(1) Background of Activities

social issue

Isolation and loneliness" in child rearing

Anxiety and loneliness in childrearing have become social issues closely related to the declining birthrate. According to the results of the survey, 66.51 TP6T families feel loneliness, especially when their first child is between 0 and 1 year old. 61.21 TP6T of the families felt loneliness "when they are alone with their children," and they cope with this by "talking to someone around them" such as a parenting buddy, partner, parents or siblings.

local problem

Chiba City, where the number of child-rearing generations is rapidly increasing Issues in the child-rearing support environment in the Kaihin-Makuhari area

The Chiba City government's policy of one facility per junior high school district has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of families raising children in the Kaihin-Makuhari area, and the current support centers alone are not sufficient to meet the needs of this growing population. In Makuhari Bay Park, more than 70% of all households have children of elementary school age or younger, and this number is expected to increase further (303 preschoolers and 265 DINKS households are expected to move in by 2024). In order to solve these issues, we will establish a new "place to share child-rearing" that is appropriate for a regional child-rearing support center, and foster a "mutual support community for child-rearing" that meets the needs of the child-rearing generation.

(2) B-Pam aims to be a childcare sharing center

This is a new concept in which, rather than supporting child-rearing, local residents and businesses gradually "share" their skills and goods, and the entire community shares in child-rearing (support and cooperation with each other). The goal is to realize a sharing economy of child-rearing within the city, and to promote a culture of mutual support, thereby "eliminating loneliness, promoting multi-generational exchange, and creating connections".

(3) Outline and Features of Childcare Share Center Cocco

Cocco aims to be a place where the entire community can cooperate in raising children by gradually sharing the skills of local residents, transcending the boundaries of conventional childcare support. With the philosophy of "cosodate (co-raising)," "cooperation," and "community," Cocco aims to go beyond the conventional framework of child-rearing support and become a place where local people gradually share their skills and the entire community cooperates in child-rearing. We aim to create a comfortable "new community" that is just right for the child-rearing generation, a place where they can say "Yes, here, here! We will strive to create a town where we can create new value by nurturing the children who will be responsible for the future together.

Open: Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Makuhari Bay Park Cross Port (S1-2, 3-1-18 Wakaba, Mihama-ku, Chiba City)

Event] Details will be posted regularly on social networking sites.

Participation fee] 200 yen per family

In principle, payment can only be made by electronic money (WAON, nanaco, Edy, transportation system, etc.)

Children between the ages of 0-3 years old and their parents or guardians.

Age groups are classified according to the day of the week.

(4) Operational structure

Makuhari PLAY Co., Ltd. will be the main operator of the project, which was commissioned by Makuhari Bay Park Area Management (B-Pam), a general incorporated association, and has experience in the Chiba City Sharing Economy Promotion Project (FY2020-2021).

＜Makuhari Bay Park Area Management Incorporated Association (B-Pam)

Makuhari PLAY Co.

*Honorific titles omitted/non-standard order

Mitsui Fudosan Residential Service Co.

ZOZOPARK HONDA FOOTBALL AREA

Makuhari Picture Headquarters

Medical Corporation Kotorakai Makuhari Toranoko Obstetrics and Gynecology

ChaCha Children Makuhari (Social Welfare Corporation ChaCha Children & Co.)

kikito (NTT DoCoMo, Inc.)

Exciting Storytime

BLUE LAGOON

Smile Music Together

(5) Future Policies

In order to meet the needs of the community that cannot be captured by the local government's "community child-rearing support center project" alone, B-Pam will support the operating costs of the center when it first opens, and will receive fees from users as well, with the aim of creating a sustainable community.

Establish a sustainable business model at the local level, including support from local governments.

When a sustainable business model is established, we would like to expand it to other regions with the same issues.

We hope that this initiative will ultimately help to solve Japan's declining birthrate.

(6) About Makuhari Bay Park Area Management (B-Pam)

Makuhari Bay Park is one of the largest urban development projects in the Tokyo metropolitan area, bringing together work, residence, education, and recreation. In order to continuously enhance the value of the city, Makuhari Bay Park Area Management (B-Pam) was established before the opening of the city in 2019 as a mechanism for residents and stores to "develop the city" together. Starting from scratch, B-Pam has been involved in a wide range of activities, including town development and the holding of events, resulting in the creation of a bustling town. B-Pam was awarded the Good Design Award for 2020 in recognition of this town development mechanism.

Name: Makuhari Bay Park Area Management Incorporated Association (Incorporation Number: 0400-05-020196)

Location: Makuhari Bay Park Cross Residence S1-2, 3-1-18 Wakaba, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba

Representative Director: Mineshi Endo

Contact: 043-273-4815

Date of establishment: November 15, 2008

B-Pam's official website: https://www.b-pam.com/

B-Pam Official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bpam.web2/

B-Pam Child Rearing Share Center Cocco Official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cocco.bpam/