A Child-Friendly Jongno: From Idolbomi Dispatch to CCTV Rental...

The core project, 'Idolbom Support Project,' directly dispatches care experts to each household to assist with childcare... Complementing blind spots in infant and toddler care, providing emotional stability to children and an environment for work-family balance to parents

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] According to the population statistics report announced by Statistics Korea in 2019, South Korea's total fertility rate in 2018 was recorded at 0.98, highlighting the urgent social issue of low birth rates that must be addressed.

In response, Jongno-gu (District Mayor Kim Young-jong) is actively promoting the "Making Jongno a Good Place to Raise Children" project this year to tackle the low birth rate.

The "Making Jongno a Good Place to Raise Children" project consists of four major areas: ▲ Activation of the Childcare Support Project (Childcare Service) ▲ Improvement of daycare center operations (expansion of infant classes and promotion of converting private daycare centers to public) ▲ Establishment of after-school care systems (installation of general and hub-type Our Neighborhood Care Centers) ▲ Creation of neighborhood playgrounds.

Among these, the core "Activation of the Childcare Support Project" involves childcare providers visiting families experiencing childcare gaps, such as dual-income couples, to directly care for their children. This is considered the most immediate support measure that parents can feel the effects of.

In most families, unless grandparents or other childcare helpers live nearby, it is difficult to fill childcare gaps, and parents often have to drop off their children at daycare centers or institutions earlier than their own work start times every morning.

The childcare support project aims to supplement these blind spots in infant and toddler care caused by such inconveniences, providing emotional stability to children and creating an environment where parents can balance work and family life.

The types of services include ▲ Hourly Childcare Service (for children aged 3 months to 12 years) ▲ Full-day Infant Service (for children aged 3 months to 36 months) ▲ Support for children with infectious diseases (for children aged 3 months to 12 years).

The usage fee is 9,890 KRW per hour, but the government provides differential subsidies based on each household's income, covering up to 85% of the cost.

Applications can be made at the local community service center for households eligible for government support (household of four with median income of 7,124,000 KRW or less), while non-supported households (self-pay) can apply through the Childcare Service website.

Starting in July, the district will additionally support hourly childcare service fees beyond government subsidies. Families with multiple children under the median income of 7,124,000 KRW for four persons and families under 5,699,000 KRW for four persons can receive 1,000 KRW per hour for up to 50 hours per month.

For example, if an infant from a household with an income of 3,562,000 KRW uses the hourly childcare service for one hour, the government supports 8,407 KRW, the district adds 1,000 KRW, and the out-of-pocket expense is 483 KRW. This is expected to reduce parents' financial and childcare burdens.

Furthermore, to enhance the project’s quality, the district plans to fully support interview fees for new applicant families regardless of income. Previously, families applying for new or replacement childcare providers could apply for up to two interviews at 12,000 KRW each, but now up to three interviews will be fully covered by the district.

Jongno-gu also directly addresses safety issues, which must be prioritized when providing care services. The Jongno-gu Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center offers free CCTV rental for six months to families using the service, with the consent of both childcare providers and users.

Additionally, child abuse specialists are on duty at all times to provide child abuse prevention education and case management. A 24-hour dedicated hotline for reporting child abuse related to childcare providers is operated, allowing immediate reporting of any suspected child harm or abuse. This is expected to significantly alleviate the anxiety of caregivers who must entrust their children to others due to dual-income work situations.

District Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “We want to be a reliable support for all processes of pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing together with our residents,” adding, “Low birth rate is a national issue, but we believe it cannot be left unattended at the community level. Therefore, we have prepared various administrative support measures. We will implement the childcare support project thoroughly to create a safe and happy community for both children and parents.”

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