- The following is content from the press release -
(Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yasuyuki Toki; hereinafter "Unifa"), a company that uses the power of technology to solve social issues related to childcare and child rearing, has announced that it will launch "Unifa" on July 11, 2022.Smart preschools, kindergartens, and children's schoolsThe "Support Project" (hereinafter referred to as the "Support Project") has been launched. In conjunction with this project, Unifa's comprehensive ICT service "orgasmWe are looking for new childcare facilities that are willing to work together with LECME to create "a preschool of choice" that is rooted in the community and puts the child first, while utilizing the "LECME" system.
1. "Smart Nursery School/Kindergarten/ Childcare Center" Concept and Model School Activities
The utilization rate of daycare centers and other facilities for 1-2 year old children exceeds 50% due to the increase in the employment rate of women and the accompanying increase in dual-earner households.note 1Childcare facilities play an important role as social infrastructure for people raising children while working. On the other hand, the ratio of effective job offers for childcare workers nationwide is approximately 3 times, which is more than twice the average for all occupations (approximately 1.3 times).*2The shortage of childcare workers remains a serious social issue. In addition, there are approximately 1 million "latent child care workers" who are qualified but not working as child care workers, accounting for approximately 60% of all qualified child care workers, mainly due to long working hours and heavy workloads.*3The following is a list of the most common problems with the
As a solution to these issues, we are promoting the "Smart Nursery School, Kindergarten, and Childcare Center" concept, introducing services that utilize the latest technologies such as AI and IoT to address various problems faced by childcare facilities and reduce the burden of complicated work such as clerical work. We aim to improve the quality of childcare by bringing more space in the "mind" and "time" of childcare providers and increasing dialogue between them and with parents, with the child at the center of the dialogue.
UNIFA will begin model school activities for "smart nursery schools, kindergartens, and childcare centers" in 2020, and is currently working with 12 childcare facilities across Japan to demonstrate improvements in the quality of childcare services.
2. About the "Smart Nursery School, Kindergarten, and Childcare Center" Support Project
Background of Recruitment
UNIFA believes that it is necessary to develop and improve the working environment in which childcare workers, who look after children closest to them, can work with satisfaction and peace of mind, and that the "Smart Nursery School, Kindergarten, and Childcare Center" concept is the solution to this problem.
As an example of a model "smart nursery school/kindergarten/children's school," a childcare facility has actually realized a 65% reduction in work hours per month before and after the introduction of ICT by using "Lucumi" instead of daily handwritten work.*4The following is a list of the most common problems with the
In addition, considering what a childcare center should be like for children, the company has created a time and environment in which children can concentrate on childcare by converting cumbersome handwritten paperwork to ICT. In some cases, the newly created mental space has enabled the creation of even deeper relationships with the children.*5The use of ICT has also been shown to contribute to improving the quality of childcare.
We have launched this call for support project in the hope of further spreading the "Smart Nursery, Kindergarten, and Childcare Center" concept throughout Japan, aiming to solve the social issue of a shortage of childcare workers, and to contribute to the creation of "preschools of choice" that reflect the wishes of children and childcare providers.
*1: Source "Summary of the situation related to daycare centers, etc." (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, March 2021)
*2: Source "Effective Job Openings for Child Care Workers (Nationwide)" (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, November 2020)
*3: Source "Report on improving the attractiveness of the field and profession of childcare" (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, September 2020)
*4: In-house research (October 2020)
*5: "Luxmy" website,Examples of model parks in use
Application Guidelines
▼ Application Requirements
- Support Unifa's vision of "Smart Nursery Schools, Kindergartens, and Children's Schools
- To be willing to cooperate in hearing, visualizing, and measuring the effectiveness of issues at childcare facilities.
- Introduction of "Lukumi" series to solve the problemnote 1and training*2To be able to take advantage of
1: By April 2023, you must plan to use or have already used at least three of the basic package (Class Board, Otayori, Contact Form, Photo, Documentation, and Preschool Memory), including at least one of the functions other than Photo and Photo, and at least one of the optional functions (Check for Sleep, Temperature Monitor, Preschool Arrival and Departure Management, Billing Management, Form Management, Shift Management, Bus Management, and Bus Management), (noon sleep check, temperature monitor, preschool arrival/departure management, billing management, form management, shift management, and bus management).
*2: The park administrator, including the facility director, deputy director, and chief administrator, must be able to participate in the "What You Want to Be Workshop" online event to be held on September 14, 2022.
▼ Benefits of Participation
We will work with facilities participating in the Support Project to clarify their vision of what they want to become as a preschool, visualize the current issues they face in order to achieve their vision, and work together to find solutions to each issue that needs to be resolved. We will support the creation of "a preschool of choice" that is rooted in the community, starting from the visualization of the results to be achieved by the introduction of Lukumi. We will contribute to improving the quality of childcare by promoting visualization of and dialogue about childcare together with caregivers and parents, with the child at the center.
▼ Application benefits
- Presenting the book "Map of the Future of Childcare Facilities: Creating the Preschool of Choice and the Smart Nursery School, Kindergarten, and Childcare Center Concept".
This book was ranked No. 1 on Amazon's best-selling list in the "Nursery School and Kindergarten Education," "Childcare Studies," and "Childcare Worker Recruitment Examination" categories, among others!note (supplementary information) symbolThe future of childcare is a very important issue for the industry. The report details how UNIFA hopes to support childcare facilities and how it is working with model schools to realize the future envisioned by many prominent teachers, including Professor Toshiyuki Shiomi (Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo and President Emeritus, Shiraumegakuen University), along with case studies.*As of February 2022(in Japanese history)https://amzn.to/3yI3cYP(List price: 1,628 yen (tax included)) - Paid training with 100% participant satisfaction in the pastnote (supplementary information) symbolPresenting the Lukumi Mirai Childcare School "Utilization of Ouija Documentation" course.
You may attend this course free of charge only if you have used or plan to use Lukumi Documentation.*Satisfaction survey results for participants of the said training: Total of "very satisfied" and "satisfied" responses out of 51 responses (conducted by Unifa in March 2022).(in Japanese history)https://lookmee.jp/mirasuku/) Regular price: 20,000 yen for 1 person, 30,000 yen for 2 persons (tax included)
▼ Other details
For details on how to apply, please see below.
(in Japanese history)https://lookmee.jp/smarthoiku/ouen/)
3. about Unifa Corporation
unifais a startup in the "Childcare-Tech" domain that aims to solve social issues related to childcare and childcare. With the mission of "creating an innovative social infrastructure that creates happiness for families around the world," the company develops and provides "Rukumi," a childcare support service that utilizes IoT and AI. Currently, more than 56 local governments have adopted the service, and the total number of installations is approximately 13,000 (*as of November 30, 2021). Smart Nursery School®, Smart Kindergarten®, and Smart Childcare Center®.note (supplementary information) symbolThrough the development of "Smart Nursery School," we are contributing to the creation of an affluent society in which it is easy to work while raising children. Smart Nursery School" received the Good Design Best 100 Award in 2021 and the Good Focus Award (New Business Design), a special award, and "Lucumi" won the Advanced Technology Award in the social industry-specific ASP/SaaS category of the ASPIC IoT, AI, Cloud Award 2021, which is given to cloud services that are beneficial to society. In addition, "Lukumi" received the Advanced Technology Award in the social industry-specific ASP/SaaS category of the "ASPIC IoT, AI and Cloud Award 2021," which is given to cloud services beneficial to society. Unifa was also selected as a J-Startup.
*Smart Nursery School®, Smart Kindergarten®, and Smart Children's School® are registered trademarks of Unifa.
Company Profile
Company name: Unifa Corporation
Representative Director & CEO: Yasuyuki Toki
Established: 2013
Location: Sumitomo Fudosan Chiyoda Fujimi Building 2F, 1-8-19 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Business Overview: Planning, development, sales, and operation of the "Lukumi®" series of childcare support services.
Development and promotion of "Smart Nursery Schools, Smart Kindergartens, and Smart Children's Schools.
Company URL: https://unifa-e.com/
Unifa has launched a project to support "Smart Preschools" proposed by Unifa. We are looking for childcare facilities that will work together with us to create preschools of choice while utilizing the company's childcare ICT service "Rukumee.
Let's take a look at the details from the press release.