- The following is content from the press release -
Chai Bora, a non-profit organization (located in Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Haruka Oyama, Representative Director; hereinafter "Chai Bora"), has launched "Chavonavi" ("Chavonavi"), an initiative aimed at solving the shortage of human resources in social housing for the elderly.https://chabonavi.jp/We are pleased to report that the annual number of recruits through the year (370), a 1501 TP6T increase over the previous year. The number of employed facilities also reached 138 facilities, 127.7% of the previous year's total, which is a major step toward solving the industry-wide problem.
*Based on questionnaires answered by 305 of the 461 registered facilities as of March 31, 2025 (response rate: 66.2%).
The Nature of Challenges in Recruitment Activities for Social Care Facilities
Social foster care facilities house children who are placed there for various reasons, such as abuse at home, economic problems, and difficulties in raising their parents. Therefore, although it is essential to fully interact with each child individually and provide appropriate care, in some facilities, one staff member must see 10 or more children most of the time, for example,Overwhelming shortage of human resourcesThe company has fallen into the following situation.
There is also the peculiarity of the industry: facilities want to secure human resources, but they tend to be closed-minded for fear of harming the children. Many facilities do not even have websites, and there is still a problem of insufficient information dissemination regarding recruitment activities. This problem stems from the fact that social welfare facilities do not have staff dedicated to public relations and that there is no account called "public relations expenses" in the public funds for measures, making it difficult to establish a culture of disseminating information to the outside world. Because of this situation, the industry is unable to break free from the situation where job seekers are not aware of the company in the first place, and even if they are aware of the company, there is not enough information to convey the appeal of the working environment and workplace, and as a result, the industry is unable to increase the willingness of job seekers to work there.
Factors behind the significant growth from the previous year
Number of registered facilities Significant increase
In the past year, the number of registered facilitiesSignificant increase from 372 to 461 facilitiesThis is not a mere increase in numbers. This is not just an increase in numbers, but proof that the activities of Chaibora, which have spread mainly by word of mouth, are spreading on a nationwide scale. The number of facilities nationwide that are working on new forms of information dissemination is increasing, and by extension, the very culture of recruitment activities in the field of social welfare facilities is changing significantly.
Expanding Awareness
Ongoing large-scale events have contributed significantly to expanding awareness. The large-scale online tour fair held every May has increased the number of participants year after year,Nearly 700 participants in 2025.The company has grown to the point where it is now doing so. Through these events, the work of social care facilities and their attractiveness became widely known, expanding our reach to potential candidate groups.
Reinforcement of approaches for schools and students
For the first time in the last fiscal year,Produced job search and practice guidelines for childcare studentsThe first of its kind in the world, the program is now available to all students. In response to the current situation where many students know little about social nursing care facilities, we provide practical information for school teachers to use in job guidance and classes. In addition, we have created opportunities for students to develop an early interest in the field of social welfare and consider it as a career option by holding job guidance seminars for school teachers and enhancing information on on-site classes.
Increase in Chavonavi usage rate
How can we improve the usage rate of "Chavonavi"?Thoroughly strengthen SEO measureshas made a significant contribution to the company's success. By optimizing Chavonavi's website structure for SEO, we have significantly increased the inflow of visitors from search engines. Also,Strengthen SNS (especially Instagram)was also effective. By proactively disseminating information on everything from basic knowledge about social nursing care facilities to the state of the facilities and their daily activities, we met the needs of today's students, for whom using Instagram for job hunting is commonplace, and many began to gather information through "Chavonavi". These multifaceted approaches work together to promote matching between social welfare facilities and job applicants, resulting in a significant increase in the number of recruits.
Comments from job seekers who have used the service
The effectiveness of Chavonavi is also supported by the feedback from job seekers.
- The trigger was all Chavonavi. It helped me a lot in choosing the facility.
- It is quite difficult to go on a tour when you have children of your own. It was very helpful to have it done online.
- Since information on employment at orphanages is often not publicly available, I searched Chavonavi.
- In addition to using it myself, I also taught Chavonavi to my friends.
- Very easy to use, the Map feature is useful and easy to read. I also look at the information that comes in the newsletter.
- Not only can you see a variety of facilities, but you can also get a lot of information through chats and talks about the tours.
- What is social care?" and other basic information outside of orphanages.
- The chavonavi contained information that is not easy to ask, such as the length of service and average annual income of facility staff.
- Unlike in-person tours, online tours have the advantage of being different from in-person tours because notes can be taken.
- The site is easy to navigate, so it is easy to look up information you want to know.
Next Steps for Further Improvement
Based on this achievement, Chaibora will take the next step forward. We will continue to strengthen our attentive support for recruitment activities at facilities nationwide, including those in rural areas, and expand our approach to schools not only to vocational schools but also to a variety of other types of schools. We will also strengthen our approach to mid-career personnel and expand the recognition of "Chavonavi," and will continue to make efforts toward the realization of a world in which each child is cared for and nurtured through the elimination of the shortage of human resources in social welfare facilities.
Nonprofit Organization Chai Bora
Location: Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Representative Director: Haruka Oyama
The only organization in Japan that supports the recruitment and retention of staff at social foster care facilities, including children's homes. It has been adopted by the Child and Family Agency for its "FY2025 Social Foster Care Attractiveness Promotion Project," and currently supports more than 1/3 of the facilities in Japan. Its main activities include the operation of "Chavonavi," a comprehensive information website on social foster care, planning and operation of facility tours, on-site classes at universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools, and operation of training programs for the purpose of retaining facility staff. The company is actively involved in pioneering initiatives within the industry, such as the "Tour Fair," which allows visitors to tour facilities nationwide online, and exchange events on Metaverse. President Oyama was selected as one of the "100 Ways to Hope for Saving the World" published by Forbes Japan in April 2024.
NPO Chai Bora official websitehttps://chaibora.org
Chavonavi, a comprehensive information site for social welfarehttps://chabonavi.jp/
