Measures to prevent children from being left behind using the ICT product "cotchi cotchi"

Background

As accidents involving children being left behind in childcare facilities have become a social issue, in 2022 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued a directive entitled "On thorough measures to prevent children from being overlooked during off-site activities at daycare centers, etc.", further increasing the importance of safety measures in off-site childcare.
PriSchool Nishi-Gotanda has never had an accident where a child was left behind during off-site childcare in the past, but we wanted to reduce the risk of children being left behind even a little in order to provide peace of mind to children, parents, and caregivers.

Issues faced

The director of Prisschool Nishi-Gotanda (Mr. Yoshihiro Tada) feels that there are limits to what childcare workers can do alone to keep an eye on children during off-site care, and says, "I thought that the introduction of new technology was essential to reduce the risk of children being left behind."
In addition, to reduce the risk of children being left behind when out of school, childcare workers need to keep a close eye on children at all times. However, there is a possibility that some children may sense this tension, and there are concerns that this could prevent children from playing independently and freely.

Introduction Results

By introducing "cotchi cotchi," childcare workers can now feel more secure about off-site childcare and can focus more on caring for the children. In addition, because childcare workers are notified of an alert when a child moves a certain distance away, they can now get a better sense of how far away they are from their children than before the introduction of "cotchi cotchi."
By taking measures in advance, rather than taking measures after an accident has occurred during off-site childcare, it is hoped that not only will parents feel more secure when leaving their children at PriSchool Nishi-Gotanda, but safety management will also be improved as children will not feel stressed by the constant supervision.

Comments from related parties

Comment from Director Yoshihiro Tada

We have just started using it, and we are not yet fully accustomed to it, but we feel that it has made watching over the children outside the school a little easier. We also hope that by using "cotchi cotchi," we can increase safety while allowing the nursery staff to interact with the children with peace of mind, which will improve the quality of childcare.

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