Yasuhiro Kozaki

During the COVID-19 pandemic, childcare facilities were recognized as essential for maintaining social functions. This study aimed to investigate the burdens and conflicts at childcare facilities and to gain insight into preparations for future pandemics. The survey, targeting directors of childcare facilities (excluding kindergartens), was conducted from October to November 2023 using the REDCap system. Responses were collected regarding demographics, comparisons of staff and parent situations before and during the pandemic, and conflicts during the pandemic. Descriptive analysis was conducted on the quantitative data. We analyzed the frequency of certain words using NVivo14 and extracted relevant comments. Results indicated that staff felt overwhelmed by the increased tasks, such as infection control, in addition to regular childcare duties. Furthermore, the results suggested that maintaining good mental health was challenging. This finding highlights the need for mental health support. Recommendations include reviewing staffing standards, improving working conditions, utilizing staff with medical knowledge, stockpiling hygiene supplies, and developing manuals and ICT systems.

Objectives This study aimed to examine the status of implementation and details of population-based approach projects that primarily target fathers nationwide. It also seeked to discuss the possibility of providing childcare support to fathers in the community. Methods This study analyzed the overall results of two surveys undertaken. The primary survey was conducted between December, 2020 and February, 2021 by administering a mail questionnaire within 1,741 municipalities across Japan. A secondary interview survey was then conducted from August to September, 2021, among the municipalities that responded that they are “implementing projects mainly for fathers,” and those that obtained consent to participate in this survey. Results The 837 municipalities (response rate = 48.1%) that responded to the primary survey were included in the analysis. Many municipalities provided paternal and family support in addition to childcare support for mothers, at the time of issuing maternal and child health handbooks and in parent classes. This support was inclusive of distributing leaflets and pamphlets for fathers (P=0.036), encouraging fathers to participate in parent classes (P<0.001), setting dates and times that are easy for fathers to participate in (P<0.001), and including content for fathers (P<0.001). There were significantly more responses from local governments of the municipalities with a total population of 70,000 or more. The number of municipalities that “implemented childcare support that primarily targeted fathers instead of mothers” was 54 or 6.5% of the total. However, about 70% of the municipalities that had not implemented such programs recognized the need for their implementation. In the 21 municipalities where the interviews were conducted, there were 10 projects implemented during pregnancy, 12 during the childcare period after delivery, and 1 implemented across both. The contents of the implemented programs varied widely, with each municipality devising its own programs based on regional characteristics, which had generally favorable evaluations from the participants. In contrast, many municipalities mentioned that the small number of participants was an issue. Conclusion Although fathers are encouraged to participate in childcare and housework within households, it is rare for them to be given opportunities to gain the required knowledge and skills. Most projects provide support for fathers as supporters of mothers. Going forward, in addition to surveys targeting fathers, there is a need to present project models that can be implemented by the local governments.

type:Article 本研究の目的は、保育施設の運営と保育士等の働き方と満足度について明らかにすることで、保育施設におけるより良い働き方や保育の取り組みのあり方を検討することである。質問紙調査では、職務への満足(調査では職務不満度)と保護者との人間関係に起因する要因として、労働条件・職場での人間関係・キャリア教育・WLBの4因子を取り上げ、共分散構造モデリングを用いて各因子の職場への満足および保護者との関係に対する影響力を分析した。この結果、労働条件は職務不満を引き下げる影響力を持っていたが、保護者との関係には影響はなかった。また他の3因子では職務不満度を引き下げ、保護者との関係を良好にするというポジティブな影響力を持っていた。 The purpose of this study is to clarify the child care facility management and the working styles and satisfaction of childcare workers, and to examine better ways of working and childcare initiatives in childcare facilities. The questionnaire survey addressed four factors attributed to job satisfaction (job dissatisfaction in the survey) and relationships with parents: working conditions, workplace relationships, career education, and WLB, and analyzed the influence of each factor on workplace satisfaction and relationships with parents using structural covariance modeling. The results showed that working conditions had an influence on lowering job dissatisfaction, but not on the relationship with parents. The other three factors had a positive influence on lowering the level of job dissatisfaction and improving the relationship with parents. Finally, as a strategy to support these four factors, an analysis of variance was conducted to determine how the use of ICT equipment affects each factor. The results indicated that the use of "automatic e-mail delivery to parents" and "SIDS check during sleep" may improve working conditions, but no association was found between the other factors or ICT equipment.

type:Article 学校における消費者教育は、家庭科、社会科、道徳科などで実施されている。これらの教科等の授業を通した学びは、幼児期の遊びを通した学びの延長上にある。消費者市民としての道徳性や規範意識の芽生えを培う時期として幼児期に注目し、本稿では、幼児期の消費者教育の意義を明らかにし、消費者教育実践の具体例として、消費者教育の視点を加えた「お店やさんごっこカリキュラム」を提案した。幼児期の消費者教育の充実によって、小・中.高等学校の体系的な学びが実現することが示唆された。

With the global epidemic of COVID-19, it has begun to have a significant impact in educational settings. In this study, we focused on nursery facilities to obtain risk images of COVID-19 as a disaster or a disease, and to examine the effect of these images on awareness of infectious disease countermeasures. We also examined whether parents who have a high awareness of infectious disease countermeasures may undermine the trust of nursery staff who are in charge of their own children, because too high an awareness of infectious disease countermeasures is not feasible in nursery facilities. As a result, the risk perception of COVID-19 improved parents’ awareness of infectious disease control measures. In addition, physical condition management positively influenced parents’ confidence in their child’s nursery staff, while limited contact and the desire to establish a network negatively influenced parents’ confidence in their child’s nursery staff.