When raising children, it becomes more common to be called "the mother of XX-chan or YY-kun," and the focus of life tends to shift to the children.
When that child has a disability or developmental concerns, the need for outings that both parent and child can attend increases even more.
Raising a child with a disability requires even more support at home than for typically developing children, but no parent can become a specialist in raising a child with a disability from the day the diagnosis is given at the hospital.
Parents of children with disabilities are individuals too.
They need time to talk about their children, their marital relationships... time to be the subject of "I," to eat delicious food, and to recharge.
At the Usagi Cafe, which is within walking distance of the Kurashiki City Office, peers with experience raising children with disabilities have established a cafe-style consultation space for parents of children with disabilities or developmental concerns.
We will introduce the usage methods and the thoughts of the operators that we want everyone, not just the parties involved, to know about.
What is Usagi Cafe
Usagi Cafe is a cafe-style consultation space operated by the certified NPO Parent Support Step (hereinafter referred to as "Step"), which is an organization that supports parents of children with disabilities.
The core members of Step are parents of children with disabilities or individuals with disabilities.
The activities consistently focus on "parents," and Usagi Cafe is also aimed at parents of children with disabilities or developmental concerns.
It is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 3 PM (with occasional openings on Sundays and holidays once a month).
Additionally, a night cafe called Usagi Shokudo for fathers is held every two months. As the name suggests, this night cafe is aimed at fathers of children with disabilities or developmental concerns.
During lunch hours, there are many women among both staff and users, but "Usagi Shokudo" is attended by men among both staff and users. It functions as a peer support space for fathers.
Cafe menu provided by peers with experience raising children with disabilities
During parenting, especially for parents raising children with disabilities, mealtime can be a time when they are so focused on assisting or encouraging their child's learning and communication that they cannot take the time to enjoy their food.
At Usagi Cafe, peers with experience raising children with disabilities provide warm meals.
The most popular menu item is the daily lunch.
The menu at the time of the interview was Chicken Soboro Three-Color Bowl.
Not only does it come with a bowl and miso soup, but it also includes side dishes, making it very nutritious.
Drinks (coffee, tea, cafe au lait) are also included, so conversations after meals are likely to flow.
Please note that the daily lunch has a limited number of servings, so those who definitely want to eat should make a reservation before visiting.
In addition, there are also desserts such as parfaits and French toast, so many people seem to order both drinks and sweets.
How to use Usagi Cafe
The concept of Usagi Cafe is "a place that is always there." Therefore, it can be visited without a reservation.
Since the exterior resembles a house in a residential area, you might feel uncertain about whether it's okay to enter, but on business days, a sign is displayed outside, and the front door is open.
On days when air conditioning or heating is used, or during heavy rain, the front door may be closed, but if the Usagi Cafe sign is displayed outside, it is a business day.
Bringing food is generally not allowed, but if you are only using it for consultation, you can use it without ordering.
Even if you visit alone, the staff will engage you as a fellow peer raising a child with a disability or developmental concerns, asking, "How have you been lately?"
Additionally, it is possible to visit with multiple people.
Whether it's parents of children with disabilities or developmental concerns, or friends who regularly discuss parenting issues, as long as the accompanying users are comfortable, they are broadly welcomed.
However, due to space limitations, please understand that each group should consist of about four people and that it is a consultation support space.
For those who are hesitant to use it
For those interested in Usagi Cafe but hesitant to take the first step, there is an official LINE available.
Information about events hosted by Usagi Cafe is distributed, so it is recommended to register as a form of reassurance and check for events you might be able to attend.
There are over 1,000 registered users on the official LINE.
It is reassuring to think that there are so many parents of children with disabilities or developmental concerns in Kurashiki City.
Usagi Cafe has been operating for over 10 years. We spoke with Kiyoko Ando, who continues to run a place for parents along with peers raising children with disabilities.
Usagi Cafe data
| Name | Usagi Cafe |
|---|---|
| Address | 2463-6 Nitta, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-431-1651 |
| Parking | None |
| Business Hours | 10 AM to 3 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday Only once a month on Sunday |
| Payment Methods |
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| Website | Certified NPO Parent Support Step |
