Economic Sector Completes 11-Year Childcare Project... 101 Daycare Centers Opened

Federation of Korean Industries and Business Community Support Boddeum Nanum's Daycare Center Construction Project Since 2009 for Future Generations
23 Groups Including Samsung and Hyundai Motor Provide 55 Billion KRW to Support Vulnerable Groups
Provides Childcare Services to Over 7,000 Infants and Toddlers' Families... Creates Over 1,000 Jobs

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The 11-year journey of the nationwide daycare center construction project jointly promoted by the business community for future generations has come to an end.

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) announced on the 13th that the childcare support project, which began with the goal of jointly building 101 daycare centers by the business community, has borne all its fruits with the completion and opening of the Cheongju Bodeumina-numi Daycare Center in March this year. To commemorate this, FKI published a booklet titled "101 Promises for Children, Bodeumina-numi Daycare Centers."

The Bodeumina-numi Daycare Centers were established as childcare facilities to address the social issue of low birth rates and support childcare-vulnerable areas after the FKI board meeting in November 2008 resolved to promote a joint childcare support project by the business community.

Through the "Bodeumina-numi" brand, which combines "Bodeumi," meaning to embrace children with love, and "Nami," representing the business community's will to share hope with society, excellent daycare centers with superior physical environments have been expanded nationwide.

Starting with 10 locations in 2009, FKI selected a total of 101 project sites over eight years until 2016, with the 101st daycare center completed in Cheongju this March. The project included 47 rural farming and fishing villages with insufficient daycare centers and 18 industrial complexes with many dual-income families. Additionally, 81 daycare centers were newly constructed, and remodeling and expansion were carried out for 20 existing aging daycare centers.

FKI Chairman Huh Chang-soo stated in the booklet's foreword, "I hope that summarizing the achievements of the Bodeumina-numi Daycare Center construction project will inspire the promotion of projects that solve social problems by combining various public and private capabilities."

The project involved 23 groups and companies, including Samsung and Hyundai Motor Company, investing a total of 55.19 billion KRW over eight years. FKI explained that Samsung, Hyundai Motor Company, LG, SK, POSCO, Lotte, GS, Hanjin, Hyosung, Kookmin Bank, and Samyang participated in the project every year without fail.

Bodeumina-numi Daycare Centers operate flexible services such as 24-hour operation for dual-income families, weekend childcare, integrated care for children with and without disabilities, and hourly childcare services allowing parents to leave their children as needed. They also serve as comprehensive childcare support facilities for local residents by providing book and toy rentals and play programs.

Currently, Bodeumina-numi Daycare Centers provide childcare services to families of about 7,000 infants and toddlers nationwide and have created jobs for approximately 1,000 childcare staff.

Yoo Hwan-ik, Director of Corporate Policy at FKI, said, "Thanks to the will of companies and the support of many stakeholders such as local governments and the National Assembly, we were able to achieve the construction of 101 Bodeumina-numi Daycare Centers where hardworking parents can leave their children with peace of mind."

Meanwhile, since his inauguration in 2011, FKI Chairman Huh Chang-soo has continuously shown interest in the Bodeumina-numi Daycare Center construction project. He has consistently attended events such as the signing ceremony of the MOU between FKI, the fundraising association, and local governments for the business community childcare support project, as well as daycare center opening ceremonies.

Officials from the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation and Siheung City are holding an opening ceremony and taking commemorative photos in front of the municipal Jeongwang Bodeumi Nanumi Daycare Center, the first 24-hour daycare center in a national industrial complex.

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