Dongjak-gu, Promotion of New Dongjak-style Daycare Center Certification in 2020

First Implementation This Year... Strengthening Public Nature of Childcare through Improvement of Private and Home Daycare Environments... Support for Staff Welfare Allowances, Dedicated Personnel Salaries, and Environment Improvement Costs for Two Years Starting August

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Chang-woo Lee) is promoting the new certification of ‘Dongjak-type Childcare Centers’ for private and home childcare centers in the area to strengthen the public nature of childcare.

Dongjak-type Childcare Centers is a project newly implemented this year to improve the treatment of childcare staff at excellent private and home childcare centers in the region and actively support the improvement of childcare environments.

The certification target includes up to 35 private and home childcare centers located in the area that have been approved by the local government head according to Article 13 of the Infant Care Act. However, childcare centers operated by social welfare corporations, corporations/organizations, workplaces, and Seoul-type childcare centers are excluded.

Private and home childcare centers wishing to participate in the certification can visit or mail the required documents to the Childcare Division of the District Office (74 Noryangjin-ro, 5th floor) by the end of this month.

The district plans to select and notify the final certified facilities in July after a comprehensive evaluation by on-site inspections and the Certification Review Committee based on criteria such as ▲staff professionalism ▲operational openness ▲financial management transparency.

Certified childcare centers will receive various support for two years from August 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022, including ▲improvement of staff treatment ▲establishment of dedicated personnel systems ▲environmental improvements and childcare consulting, with new and re-certifications conducted in the first half of 2022.

As for support details, first, a treatment improvement allowance will be paid to private and home childcare staff considering the wage difference with national and public childcare staff.

This year, 32,000 KRW per person per month will be supported, and a ‘Dongjak-type Seniority System’ will be introduced to increase the treatment improvement rate annually.

Additionally, wages for dedicated personnel will be supported to improve the quality of childcare, such as cooking staff providing safe meals and snacks or facility directors being relieved from teaching duties.

Furthermore, upon certification, a one-time support for environmental improvement costs such as purchasing educational equipment and quarantine supplies will be provided, and expert consulting on play-centered childcare curriculum revisions will be available.

Kim Kyung-ok, head of the Childcare Division, said, “Through this new certification of Dongjak-type Childcare Centers, we will create an environment where parents can feel secure raising their children by providing improved childcare services at private and home childcare centers.”

The district is also providing emergency support totaling about 385.4 million KRW for facility operation costs to 119 private and home childcare centers struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

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