Incheon City Expands Public Childcare Infrastructure with Nation's First 'Innovative Childcare Complex Center' Construction

Public Postpartum Care Centers and Childcare Support Facilities Established in 2022
Significant Expansion of National, Public, and Incheon-Style Daycare Centers
Introduction of Accounting System and Expanded Support for Childcare Centers for Children with Disabilities

Location map of Incheon Innovation Childcare Complex Center [Provided by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City is promoting various childcare activation policies, including the construction of an innovative childcare complex center equipped with a public postpartum care center and childcare support facilities, the first of its kind nationwide.

The city announced on the 27th that it will build the innovative childcare complex center on the 14,600㎡ site of the former police academy in Bupyeong-dong, Bupyeong-gu, with a total project cost of 24.1 billion KRW. The design service will commence this year, with completion planned by 2022.

The maternity building, with one basement floor and two above-ground floors, will house a public postpartum care center equipped with maternity rooms, neonatal rooms, nursing rooms, and prenatal classes.

The infant and toddler building, with one basement floor and four above-ground floors, will include a comprehensive childcare support center, indoor play facilities, family water play experience zones, a children's library, a safety experience center, and a large auditorium.

The city also plans to expand the number of national and public daycare centers by 35 this year, increasing to 340 by 2022.

Among private and home daycare centers, excellent centers will be selected to provide public-type daycare services at the level of national and public centers, and Incheon-type infant-safe daycare centers with lower teacher-to-child ratios will be expanded to 170 and 210 centers respectively, raising the public childcare utilization rate from the current 26% to 40%.

Parent-participatory open daycare centers, aimed at creating an open childcare environment, will be expanded from 340 centers last year to 615 this year.

To promote open daycare centers, the city will encourage increased participation from national and public daycare centers, and provide additional incentives such as priority support for substitute cooks if applicable, and extra points when selecting Incheon-type daycare centers for those designated as open daycare centers.

Until now, childcare teachers working at specialized daycare centers for children with disabilities have received allowances, but starting this year, support will be expanded to provide monthly allowances to childcare teachers working at integrated daycare centers for children with disabilities as well.

Additionally, natural experience learning expenses will be supported for 82 specialized and integrated daycare centers for children with disabilities, expected to promote emotional development of disabled infants and toddlers and contribute to the expansion of integrated childcare for disabled and non-disabled children.

This year, an accounting system will be introduced to improve transparency and efficiency in daycare center financial management.

The city held an accounting system project briefing last month, and next month plans to select a preferred negotiation partner and sign a tripartite agreement with the daycare center association and the business operator (financial institution).

Subsequently, an integrated system including mobile access will be established, and starting in July, the system will be introduced first to 500 national, public-type, and Incheon-type daycare centers receiving government support, gradually expanding to private and home daycare centers, aiming for 95% adoption across all daycare centers by 2022.

An Incheon city official stated, "We will fully reflect the opinions of childcare workers, parents, and childcare experts to ensure that the comprehensively revamped childcare support system this year, including the expansion of public childcare infrastructure and the construction of the innovative childcare complex center, is stably established."

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