Songpa-gu Night Emergency Care Service Available on Saturdays

Operating on the 1st floor of Songpa-dong Women's Culture Center... Open until 10 PM on weekdays

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) is expanding its nighttime emergency childcare services.

The nighttime emergency childcare service provides play programs and other activities for children aged 36 months to 10 years who need urgent care at night due to sudden overtime work, family events, or emergency medical treatment of caregivers. If necessary, meal-replacement snacks are also provided with parental consent.

Songpa-gu has expanded both the locations and operating hours of the nighttime emergency childcare service. Previously, the service was only available on weekdays from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Pungnap-dong Community Childcare Sharing Center.

Now, the service is also offered at the Open Childcare Room on the first floor of the Women’s Culture Center located in Songpa-dong. Both locations have extended their operating hours by one hour, allowing use until 10 PM.

In particular, emergency childcare services are also provided on Saturdays (from 9 AM to 6 PM) in Songpa-dong.

Songpa-gu revealed the results of a demand survey conducted among parents of children in local daycare centers regarding the nighttime emergency childcare service. More than 80% of participating families responded that they need a service to leave their children in urgent situations, highlighting the necessity of the nighttime emergency childcare service.

Additionally, a satisfaction survey of families using the nighttime emergency childcare service in Pungnap-dong showed a 100% satisfaction rate among respondents.

To ensure safe childcare services, Songpa-gu limits the number of children per caregiver to five. Caregivers also provide play coaching such as board games and coloring activities, as well as self-directed learning guidance to prevent neglect at the childcare locations.

Especially to ensure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, hand sanitizers are provided at both the Pungnap-dong Community Childcare Sharing Center and the Songpa-dong Open Childcare Room, and both caregivers and children wear masks while at the facilities.

The nighttime emergency childcare service can be applied for via dedicated phone lines (Pungnap-dong 070-7467-1004, Songpa-dong 070-7459-3846).

Afterward, the center sends the application form via text message; once the form is completed and the usage fee is paid, the service can be used. The daily capacity is about 10 children. The usage fee on weekdays is 3,000 KRW for the first 3 hours and 1,000 KRW for each additional hour. On Saturdays, the basic 4-hour fee is 5,000 KRW, with an additional 5,000 KRW for extended service until 6 PM.

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “Songpa-gu has the highest number of births among Seoul’s autonomous districts,” and added, “Just as the saying goes, ‘It takes a whole village to raise a child,’ we will do our best to make Songpa a community that raises children together.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.