KitchHike Inc. (Headquarters: Atsabe-cho, Hiyama-gun, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Masaya Yamamoto), which promotes "Nursery School Study Abroad," will launch the "Working & Raising Children" project in July 2026 to explore new ways of working and taking time off for child-rearing generations. Details page: https://hoikuen-ryugaku.com/co-creation This project aims to practice, verify, and disseminate new ways of working and taking time off throughout the entire child-rearing period, in collaboration with companies focusing on human capital management, well-being, and DE&I. It gently questions the conventional approach where support for working parents tends to focus on "0-1 year old parental leave" and "parental leave acquisition rates," and will present and promote options that combine remote work and flexible paid leave systems to society. We are seeking companies that agree with this project to verify and promote new ways of working and taking time off suited for the coming era. ◼︎ Background - The key to recruitment, retention, and engagement is shifting from "work-life balance" to "quality of balance." In an era where dual-income households are the norm, attracting, retaining, and engaging the child-rearing generation is a management issue that affects corporate growth. A Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare survey* shows that 63% of young men and 77% of young women responded that parental leave acquisition status influences their job selection, making the establishment of parental leave systems a prerequisite for recruitment competitiveness. Furthermore, the focus of the child-rearing generation is shifting from the mere existence of parental leave systems to the qualitative question of "Can I raise my child well while working?" - Parental leave is entering an era where "ways of working and taking time off throughout the child-rearing period" are questioned, beyond just "acquisition rates." The parental leave acquisition rate for men reached a record h