Gwanak-gu Dream Start Non-face-to-face 'Infant and Toddler Homeschooling' Operation

Planning play and learning programs with age-appropriate educational tools and toys delivered to homes... Striving to minimize educational service gaps for 181 children in 128 households amid prolonged COVID-19 pandemic

Delivery of Study Materials

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) plans to operate a non-face-to-face home play and learning program called ‘Dream Start Infants and Toddlers Homeschooling’ for Dream Start infants and toddlers starting in July.

The Dream Start project provides customized integrated services to legally vulnerable children and families aged 0 to 12 years (elementary school age and below), currently supporting 181 children in 128 households.

Currently, Gwanak-gu Dream Start has suspended group programs to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and has planned programs that can be done at home. Along with the ongoing online worksheet-linked program, it aims to minimize gaps in child support by providing non-face-to-face services.

The ‘Infants and Toddlers Homeschooling’ program, starting in July, delivers educational tools and toys suitable for the infant’s age to their homes, allowing play and learning simultaneously at home.

Households with infants and toddlers aged from 7 months to 6 years in Dream Start families can apply, with priority given to children needing cognitive development stimulation or families facing difficulties in creating a nurturing environment.

Once a month, educational tools including a guidebook for parents are delivered to the home, supporting each child for up to 12 months, with the possibility of a 12-month extension through case meetings.

The user fee is 10,000 KRW per month, with the remaining costs shared between Dream Start and partner organizations. Support will be terminated if the user’s payment is overdue for more than two months.

The district expects that providing home play and learning programs to Dream Start children during the extended time spent at home due to COVID-19 will reduce the caregiving burden on parents while contributing to the holistic development of children.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “I believe that support for Dream Start children living at home due to COVID-19 is more urgent than ever,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to ensure that children are not excluded from educational and cultural services through various projects.”

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