Bucheon-si to Provide Childcare Points for Children Under 7 Years Old... Electronic Gift Certificates Worth 400,000 Won

Bucheon City Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, will provide temporary electronic gift certificates (Care Points) to households raising children to reduce the economic burden on families struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to revitalize the local economy.

The city announced on the 2nd that it has included 15.8 billion KRW in national funds in the supplementary budget and will provide electronic gift certificates worth a total of 400,000 KRW per child to households with children under the age of 7 receiving child allowances.

The support targets approximately 39,000 children who received child allowances as of March; children born after April are not eligible.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, recipients do not need to visit administrative welfare centers or business locations. Instead, the electronic vouchers will be issued so they can be used like cash on currently used government support cards (I-Happiness Card, National Happiness Card).

Households possessing both the I-Happiness Card and the National Happiness Card can select their preferred card via the Bokjiro website or app, or through the administrative welfare center at the child's registered address, from the 6th to the 10th of the month.

Households without either the I-Happiness Card or the National Happiness Card must apply separately for a gift card through Bokjiro or the administrative welfare center. The card will be mailed to the registered address.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare will send individual text messages to households eligible for the electronic gift certificates to provide guidance.

The electronic gift certificates can be used in most places except department stores, large supermarkets, online shopping malls, and entertainment establishments to promote the local economy and support small business owners. However, they must be used by the end of this year to encourage consumption.

A Bucheon City official stated, "We are providing temporary Care Points to ease the economic burden on households raising children who are facing difficulties due to increased costs for quarantine and hygiene supplies and emergency childcare caused by the spread of COVID-19."

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