Yongsan-gu Successfully Holds Online Neighborhood Childcare Meeting

Non-face-to-face Online Childcare Meeting Held on 24-25... About 90 Participants Including Parents of Infants and Toddlers, Daycare Center Staff, and Childcare Officials... Sharing Information and Communication on Childcare Challenges

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] “As a person raising a child in Yongsan, I am proud. Due to COVID-19, there were no opportunities for gatherings or communication, which was unfortunate, but Yongsan-gu took a step ahead by meeting face-to-face online and sharing information about childcare, which makes me very proud. I would like to express my gratitude to the staff who arranged this event.”

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) utilized advanced Information & Communication Technology (ICT) to hold Seoul’s first online childcare neighborhood meeting.

The childcare neighborhood meeting is an event held regularly 3 to 4 times a year. However, this year, due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), on-site activities and gatherings of local childcare leaders were restricted, causing difficulties in operating the program.

Moreover, it was uncertain whether the childcare neighborhood meetings would be held until the end of the year.

In response, the district took inspiration from the non-face-to-face filming method of broadcasting entertainment programs and decided to hold the ‘Our Neighborhood Childcare Meeting’ using the online video conferencing platform ZOOM.

At the beginning of this month, the district recruited participants for the childcare meeting, targeting parents of infants and toddlers receiving home care, parents of children enrolled in daycare centers, and childcare staff. Additionally, a pre-event test was conducted to minimize errors in program operation.

The childcare meeting was held on the 24th and 25th at the Yongsan-gu Office small theater Garam and the Yongsan-gu Childcare Support Center. About 90 participants, including parents with young children, daycare center officials, and district childcare officials, joined via individual electronic devices (smartphones, laptops, etc.).

The event was held under the theme of hopes for rest and play facilities for young children. First, the district conveyed the history and purpose of creating Yongsan Park. Suggestions were invited to make Yongsan Park a beneficial space for our children to experience nature, historical culture, and healing in the future.

Next, there was a time to listen to and communicate about difficulties in raising young children in the local area.

Main proposals included the development of nature-friendly public playgrounds, creation of stroller-accessible walking trails, and expansion of restrooms equipped for young children, among which 47 policy suggestions were submitted to the district.

The district plans to review feasible suggestions and incorporate them into next year’s policies for active promotion.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, stated, “The online childcare neighborhood meeting was a great opportunity to hear the vivid voices of parents raising children even amid the COVID-19 situation. We will reflect parents’ voices in district administration and make various efforts to create a child-friendly Yongsan-gu.”

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