Among children in single-parent families headed by mothers in financially difficult situations, there are those who face complex challenges, such as being unable to rely on their parents at an age when they need support, or lacking sufficient learning opportunities.

Such hardships are often not visible on the surface, leaving these children with no one to turn to. Children's Support Station Tane to Shizuku (or "Tane to Shizuku"), a non-profit organization in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture that supports children and single-parent families, was founded in July 2022 under the leadership of Representative Director Yoko Yamato.

It all began in 2015, when Yoko launched an organization called "a little" to help women become independent. Through this organization, while providing paid household support before and after childbirth, she learned about mothers' circumstances and became aware of single-parent families who were isolated and unable to escape their hardships. Witnessing children living bravely despite unstable circumstances and emotional scars, she came to recognize the problem that fee-based services could not reach the single-parent families who needed support most, and began offering free home visits to impoverished households through grant funding.

Later, the home visit support team from a little was spun off, and Tane to Shizuku was born. The organization was named to reflect the hope of being like a drop of water ("shizuku") for growing seeds ("tane," figuratively meaning "people"). Currently, there are 10 staff members, 10 adult volunteers, and 14 student volunteers. Their activities focus on three areas: 1) home visits to single-parent and impoverished households, 2) providing safe spaces for children, particularly teenagers, and 3) supporting and connecting supporters in order to expand community-based assistance.

Each home visit aims to address challenges. Two staff members visit for two hours once a month to help parents with housework and childcare. While one staff member helps the parent with housework, the other looks after the child, creating opportunities for both parent and child to share their honest feelings. These home visits have so far been provided to 50 households in Nishinomiya. Tane to Shizuku currently supports 17 households. Each household receives 10 to 12 visits per year. If solutions remain unaddressed, the household is then connected to administrative services. They also operate a monthly food pantry, which allows staff to monitor changes in living conditions, facilitates interaction among single parents, and supports problem-solving.

In August 2023, the Tane to Shizuku Library was opened as a place where children can discover what they want to do and take action, as part of the organization's support for safe spaces for children. The Library offers a safe space where children can play, study, and read. Student volunteers spend time with children, playing games or helping them study, depending on the children's ages and circumstances. This allows children to naturally open up about things they can't talk about at home. The Library also functions as a safe space for infants and toddlers not yet in school, and has become a hub for children from a wide range of circumstances. It has been well received for its bookshelf of supporter-donated and recommended books, its study space for junior and senior high school students, and its dinner service. About 130 people use the library on average each month.

Yoko recognizes that the more she learns about single-parent families, the more difficult their situations appear, and that her organization alone cannot address all of these challenges. As a result, she has begun working to expand the network of supporters and partner organizations. She recalls former children she worked with saying that being able to express their own situations and feelings, and to communicate their hopes to others, made them feel it was worthwhile to continue the activities. With determination, she emphasizes her desire to create a society where children are not swayed by the environments in which they are born and raised, but can choose their own paths in life.

This organization stands close to single-parent and impoverished households and plays an important role by working alongside families on housework and childcare, at a time when such households often become isolated and cannot be adequately supported by public programs alone. Its efforts in creating safe spaces for children and cooperating with guidance centers are also commendable, and we feel these initiatives deserve to be expanded nationwide. Despite its recent establishment, the organization has demonstrated initiative in turning activities into action, and we place great trust in the spirit of compassion embodied in its name. Working in collaboration with local communities and relevant organizations, these efforts have been highly valued as meaningful activities that connect to the future.