Dongjak-gu, 2020. Awarded Best Local Government for Excellence in Childcare Policy

This Year’s Efforts Including ▲Introduction of Dongjak-type Daycare Centers ▲Expansion of 5 Public Childcare Facilities ▲Outsourcing Operation of 58 Daycare Centers by Bo-yukcheong... Especially Highly Rated in COVID-19 Response Efforts

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Changwoo Lee) has won the Grand Prize in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's '2020 Excellent Local Government in Childcare Policy Evaluation.'

The Ministry of Health and Welfare annually selects outstanding childcare policy institutions through ▲the first evaluation by city/provincial governors ▲the second evaluation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare targeting local governments nationwide including cities, counties, and districts.

The evaluation criteria include ▲contribution to the establishment of childcare support system reform ▲childcare center safety management ▲expansion of public childcare, and this year’s special policies such as excellent COVID-19 response cases and efforts to develop independent projects, covering 7 fields and 15 indicators.

The district received high scores in each category. In particular, it earned high marks in COVID-19 response efforts, including support for disinfection supplies for all childcare centers and conducting mock drills for childcare centers based on scenarios of confirmed COVID-19 cases, becoming the only district in Seoul to receive the Grand Prize.

This follows last year’s grand prize, marking two consecutive years of being selected as an excellent childcare policy institution, recognizing the achievements of the district’s childcare policies.

This year, the district introduced the ‘Dongjak-type Childcare Center’ for the first time to improve the treatment of childcare staff at excellent private and home childcare centers and actively support childcare environment improvements. After comprehensive evaluations through on-site inspections and certified review committees on ▲staff professionalism ▲operational openness ▲financial management transparency, 23 centers were certified.

Additionally, the district expanded childcare infrastructure by adding 5 public childcare centers and strengthened the public nature of childcare by managing all public childcare centers (excluding 10 converted private centers) through consignment operation via the Childcare Comprehensive Support Center.

Next year, the district plans to enhance user convenience by launching a mobile homepage for the Childcare Office and implement the Childcare Office project, recognized as an innovative case of public childcare, including ▲selective consulting support to strengthen childcare center professionalism ▲job training to enhance the operation capacity of integrated classes for children with disabilities ▲parental stress assessment and healing therapy to overcome COVID-19 blues.

Changwoo Lee, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, stated, “We will realize public childcare with the best childcare services that satisfy infants, parents, and childcare teachers alike,” and added, “We will do our best to make Dongjak-gu’s childcare policy a standard for the Republic of Korea.”

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