Nowon-gu Proves to Be a 'Child-Friendly City'!...Awarded Excellence in Establishing Child Protection System

First Nationwide Local Government to Establish a 'Child Protection Specialized Agency' and Seoul's First Directly Operated 'Shelter for Abused Children,' Receiving High Praise - Awarded Excellence in the 2020 Public Child Protection System Evaluation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) received excellence awards in the 2020 "Public Child Protection System Establishment Institution Evaluation" and the "Dream Start Pilot Evaluation," both hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The public-centered child protection system, operated since last October, is designed to strengthen public responsibility for children requiring social protection by having local governments take charge of child abuse investigations and protective separation measures, which were previously conducted by private organizations.

The "Public Child Protection System Establishment Institution Evaluation" was conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare targeting local governments nationwide. The evaluation was based on 10 criteria across 4 areas, including efforts by local governments to strengthen the public nature of child protection.

Nowon-gu was the first among basic local governments nationwide to establish a "Child Protection Specialized Institution" in March 2018, leading efforts to eradicate child abuse. Located within the Nowon Child Welfare Center, the specialized institution provides counseling, education, medical and psychological treatment to abused children under 18, their families, and perpetrators.

Additionally, Nowon-gu deployed dedicated child abuse investigation officers responsible for on-site investigations, emergency separations, and a 24-hour reporting system. Last year, it was recognized for pioneering the establishment of the first "Shelter for Abused Children" among Seoul's autonomous districts, leading the public child protection system.

Moreover, the district received favorable evaluations for projects funded by its own budget, such as "Support for Independent Settlement Funds for Children Leaving Facilities," "Outings for Child Committee Members and Sponsored Children," and "Support for Horticulture Programs at Local Child Welfare Facilities."

Furthermore, on the 18th, the district achieved the great success of being selected as an excellent institution in the "Dream Start Pilot Evaluation," which provides customized integrated services to vulnerable children and families.

This evaluation, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to improve the level of Dream Start services, was based on 25 indicators across 4 areas: organizational structure and management, integrated case management, community cooperation, and satisfaction.

In this evaluation, the district received consistently excellent ratings across all areas.

In particular, it earned high scores by collaborating with local community-related organizations such as the Nowon Education Welfare Center and the Customized Coaching Center to conduct child-specific customized integrated case management.

With this award, the district has been honored four times with the Minister of Health and Welfare Award, following the Health and Welfare Administration Award in 2013 and awards in 2014, 2015, and 2018.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "This award recognizes the district's efforts to protect children's rights and create a child-friendly city. We will continue to spare no support to ensure that children, the future of our society, can grow up healthily."

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