Two-Thirds of Childcare Facilities Haven't Started Preparations Six Months Before "Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act" Enforcement - Over 80% Intend to Comply, but "Lack of Knowledge/Understanding" is the Biggest Hurdle to Preparation - Kodmon Survey

Codmon Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yoshinori Koike), a provider of comprehensive ICT services for childcare and educational facilities, conducted a survey on the "Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act" (Official Name: Act on Measures for the Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Children by School Operators and Private Education and Childcare Providers, commonly known as Japan DBS), which is scheduled to be enforced on December 25, 2026. The survey targeted staff working in childcare, educational, and therapeutic facilities nationwide. The results, compiled from a total of 555 responses, primarily from facility directors and managers (341 individuals), are reported below.

This law is a crucial system aimed at preventing sexual violence against children and creating an environment where they can grow and learn with peace of mind. It is an important measure to protect children, and its implementation requires childcare facilities to understand its purpose and respond appropriately. Codmon conducted this survey to clarify the preparedness of childcare facilities approximately six months before enforcement and to promote understanding of the law within these facilities going forward.

【Key Points of This Release】

☑ Awareness of the law among facility directors and managers is 99.4%. Only 1.2% plan not to comply.

☑ Approximately two-thirds (66.3%) of facilities have not yet started preparations.

☑ The top concern on the ground is "lack of knowledge and understanding of the law" (75.4%).

☑ Requests for "easy-to-understand explanatory materials" (80.4%) and the implementation of training/seminars.

※ More detailed data from this survey can be found in the attached PDF file (separate materials).

d40113-39-1f1e6dc528d2ccf3bc8f46d7e2f8e2bc.pdf

【1】Approximately 20% Do Not Understand Their Facility's Classification Under the Law

In response to the question "Q. Are you aware of the Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act?", 99.4% of facility directors and managers (n=341) answered "I have heard the name." Among other staff (n=214), 92.0% were aware of the name, indicating that the existence of the law is widely known at the operational level.

On the other hand, approximately 20% of facility directors and managers (20.3%) responded that they do not know whether their facility falls under the "obligated" or "certified" category of the law. Furthermore, even among facilities that answered "I understand," 28.3% of certified facilities perceived themselves as obligated, and 5.6% of obligated facilities perceived themselves as certified, suggesting that further promotion of understanding of the law is necessary.

Q. In the Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act, there are facilities that are obligated and facilities that are certified. Do you understand whether your facility is subject to this law? (n=341)

・Understand (is obligated): 232 (68.0%)

・Understand (is certified): 40 (11.7%)

・Don't know / Don't understand: 69 (20.3%)

【2】Only 32.5% of Facilities Are Already Making Preparations for Enforcement

Among facility directors and managers (n=341), only 1.2% answered that they "plan not to comply." Regardless of whether they are obligated or certified, almost all facilities showed a positive stance towards complying with the law.

However, only 32.5% of facilities answered that they are "already making preparations." Approximately two-thirds (66.3%) of facilities have not yet begun concrete preparations.

Q. How are you currently proceeding with preparations for the law's enforcement? (n=341)

・Plan to comply and are already making preparations: 111 (32.5%)

・Plan to comply, but concrete preparations will start from now: 168 (49.3%)

・Considering compliance policy: 58 (17.0%)

・Plan not to comply: 4 (1.2%)

【3】Top Concern on the Ground is "Lack of Knowledge/Understanding." Voices Also Express Concern for Staff's Mental Well-being

Regarding concerns about complying with the law (multiple responses, n=341), "lack of knowledge and understanding of the law" was the most frequent at 75.4%, followed by "increased administrative burden for inquiries and procedures" (63.3%), and "dissemination and understanding among staff, and conducting training independently" (59.8%). Only 3.5% of facilities answered "not concerned at this time," indicating that many facilities are facing enforcement with some level of concern.

Q. What are your facility's current concerns regarding compliance with the law? (n=341) [Multiple selections]

・Lack of knowledge and understanding of the law: 257 (75.4%)

・Increased administrative burden for inquiries and procedures: 216 (63.3%)

・Dissemination and understanding among staff, and conducting training independently: 204 (59.8%)

・How to appropriately respond to the initial stages when suspicion of sexual violence arises: 187 (54.8%)

・Establishing clear standards for inappropriate behavior within our facility: 167 (49.0%)

・Management of personal information (sex offense records, etc.) and risk of leakage: 164 (48.1%)

・Insufficient preparation period: 147 (43.1%)

・Not concerned at this time: 12 (3.5%)

▼ Comments from Respondents

While some facilities are proactively preparing, many find existing materials insufficient for understanding and seek support to alleviate their operational burden. Additionally, multiple comments expressed concerns about increased burdens on facility directors and potential staff turnover due to the law's enforcement.

<Confusion over the Law's Complexity and Calls for Support>

"I receive forwarded notices from the administrative office, but the content is difficult to fully understand." (Saitama Prefecture / Certified Kodomoen / Director)

"As it's a law for children, I have high expectations, but I need support regarding the increased workload." (Niigata Prefecture / Licensed Nursery School / Director)

<Concerns about Increased Burden on Facility Directors>

"The burden on the back office will increase. Furthermore, since the content is not simple, the burden will concentrate on management staff like facility directors. The front lines don't have the capacity for this right now, so we want to be able to focus on our operations." (Shizuoka Prefecture / Licensed Nursery School / Manager)

<Concerns about Staff's Mental Burden and Turnover>

"I worry that staff will become hesitant, constantly thinking if their own childcare practices might be considered 'inappropriate.' I'm concerned that people might switch to other industries or that fewer people will want to become childcare workers." (Kyoto Prefecture / Licensed Nursery School / Director)

"There were voices saying, 'I understand the necessity, but I'm wondering if I should continue working as a childcare provider because everyone seems to be suspected.'" (Okinawa Prefecture / Licensed Nursery School / Director)

【4】Childcare Facilities Desire "Easy-to-Understand Materials" and "Training/Seminars"

Regarding desired support for proceeding with compliance with the law (multiple responses, n=341), "materials and guides that clearly explain the law's content and procedures" ranked first (80.4%). This was followed by "online training/seminars for facility directors and responsible managers" (74.5%) and "online training/seminars for existing staff" (59.2%), indicating a high demand for training and seminars.

Q. What kind of support would be helpful for proceeding with compliance with the law? (n=341) [Multiple selections]

・Materials and guides that clearly explain the law's content and procedures: 274 (80.4%)

・Online training/seminars for facility directors and responsible managers: 254 (74.5%)

・Online training/seminars for existing staff: 202 (59.2%)

・Expert support for individual consultations: 130 (38.1%)

・A contact point to represent our requests to the national government/administration: 79 (23.2%)

・No particular support needed: 3 (0.9%)

Codmon's Initiatives | Holding Seminars by Experts and Providing Training Videos

This survey revealed that many facilities are concerned about understanding the legal system and practical implementation. In response to these on-site conditions, Codmon will implement the following two initiatives:

1. Holding Seminars Explaining the "Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act"

An online seminar will be held with Lawyer Daisuke Masuhara (TMI Associates), who also serves as an advisor for the law for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as the lecturer. The seminar will cover basic legal knowledge, practical preparations for enforcement, and examples of how to respond when suspicion of abuse is recognized.

・Dates: July 22 (Wed), 29 (Wed), August 5 (Wed), 19 (Wed), 2026, 11:00-12:00 (7-day catch-up viewing available for each date)

・Target Audience: Facility directors and managers of childcare facilities

・How to Apply: Please apply from the following information page.

https://attendee.bizibl.tv/sessions/seGknQ28HZdk

2. Free Release of Training Videos Provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on "Codmon College"

To support the obligation to inform staff, training videos (32 in total) released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare are now available for viewing on the online training platform "Codmon College." When disseminating information and conducting training for staff, facilities need to be able to track their staff's completion status. By taking courses on Codmon College, businesses can centrally manage their staff's completion status.

Details: https://college.codmon.com/info/18972/

Codmon will continue to provide support through information dissemination and seminars to address these on-site challenges and reduce the burden on facilities. Codmon aims to ensure that the "Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act" takes root in childcare facilities and improves the environment surrounding children, and will continue to support facilities on the ground.

【Survey Overview】

Survey Name | Codmon "Survey on Preparations for the Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act"

Survey Period | May 1, 2026 - May 20, 2026

Survey Method | Internet Survey (Questionnaire for staff at facilities using Codmon)

Target Survey | Staff working in childcare facilities, certified kodomoen, after-school care clubs, etc.

Number of Valid Responses | 555 (341 facility directors/managers, etc., 214 others)

<Breakdown by Facility Type>

Licensed Nursery School 207, Certified Kodomoen 136, Small-Scale Licensed Nursery School 56, Corporate-Led Nursery School 51, After-School Care Facility 41, Unlicensed Nursery School/Preschool/Childcare Room 18, Kindergarten 12, After-School Day Service/Child Development Support Facility (designated as a support business for children with disabilities) 12, Elementary/Junior High School 6, Children's Hall 5, Cram School/Hobby Class 4, Certified Nursery School (Tokyo Metropolitan Government system) 2, Other facilities for children with disabilities (not designated as a support business for children with disabilities) 1, Other 4

<Breakdown by Job Title>

Director/Principal/Facility Manager/Classroom Manager 290, Vice Director/Vice Principal/Chief/Lead Teacher 61, Administrative Staff (facility administration, etc.) 59, Manager (Board Chairman, etc.) 51, Childcare Worker/Teacher/Instructor/Supporter 48, Head Office Staff 20, Other 17, Childcare/Teacher Assistant 6, Professional (Nurse, Dietitian, Cook, etc.) 2, Lecturer/Instructor/Coach 1

About Codmon Inc.

Codmon Inc., with the mission "To improve the environment surrounding children through the power of technology," provides "CoDMON," the No. 1 market share ICT service for childcare and educational facilities in the industry (※). By supporting smart creation of growth records and lesson plans linked to child/student information, attendance management, and communication support with guardians, it reduces the workload of teachers. This helps create an environment where childcare facility staff and guardians have more time to focus on children, enabling higher quality childcare.

In addition to ICT support, Codmon also offers the EC service "Codmon Store" for childcare facilities, the "Sensei Prime" preferential program available to all childcare facility staff, and the online training platform "Codmon College." Through these multifaceted initiatives, Codmon aims to realize its vision of "A society where the growth and learning of children are supported by society as a whole."

※ "Survey on the Adoption of SaaS Business Support Systems 2025" Tokyo Shoko Research, Ltd. (January 2026)

【Company Profile】

◆Location: Gotanda JP Building 10F, 8-4-13 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

◆Capital: 68.25 million yen

◆Representative: Yoshinori Koike, Representative Director and CEO

◆Established: November 2018

◆Business Activities: Operation of ICT service "Codmon" for childcare and educational facilities, operation of photo sales service, payment processing service, recruitment support/child recruitment support service "Hoisil," operation of EC site "Codmon Store" for childcare facilities, operation of online training service "Codmon College," operation of welfare service "Sensei Prime" for childcare facility staff, etc.

Service Site: https://www.codmon.com/ Corporate Site: https://www.codmon.co.jp/

<<Inquiries and Questions from Media>>

Codmon Inc. Public Relations

Mail: [email protected]

Tel: 080-7303-6026 / 080-4466-6738

<<For Contracted Facilities and Dedicated Contact for Contract Facilities>>

Codmon Inc. Support Center

Mail: [email protected]

Tel: 050-2018-3196 (Weekdays 9:00-18:00)

※ Facilities contracted with vendors other than Codmon Inc. should contact their respective vendors.

【Regarding Citation of Data】

Graphs and text in this document may be used freely provided that the source (Codmon "Survey on Preparations for the Child Sexual Violence Prevention Act") is clearly indicated.

※ We would be greatly encouraged if you could inform us of the publication or broadcast by email ([email protected]), even after the fact. The entire PR team looks forward to it.