PURPOSE:
Japan’s declining birth rate is a serious concern. In 2024, the total fertility rate fell to 1.15. While women’s participation in the workforce continues to increase, they still bear the primary burden of parenting responsibilities. Furthermore, the shift toward nuclear families and the weakening of community ties have increasingly left women struggling with motherhood. This has become a widespread concern in East Asia. This presentation considers the most essential forms of support for women in nations affected by declining birth rates.

DISCUSSION:
Our previous study found that simply offering advice or knowledge was inadequate for Japanese mothers to recover from parenting challenges. Support must also nurture self-acceptance and help women find ways of affirming their own parenting style. In response, Minoh Mama no Gakko in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, created a community space within a local commercial facility where midwives were available on-site to provide a supportive environment for mothers raising their children. They also developed 'Mother's Heart Counseling,' an initiative aimed at fostering self-acceptance among mothers. In parallel, they trained mental health professionals –mostly midwives and other healthcare and childcare professionals– and operated online communities and other services accessible to women raising children.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
The community space welcomed approximately 17,000 visitors in one year. Parenting-related anxieties were alleviated, and mothers were provided with a sense of reassurance in an environment in which they felt accepted. The results revealed a significant increase in self-acceptance among participants in the Mother's Heart Counseling.

KEY MESSAGE:
In countries facing declining birth rates, providing support that fosters self-acceptance among mothers and midwives is essential to enable women to affirm themselves and live authentically with a sense of well-being. Poster session 4 (Group B)