What Is the Secret Behind Gwanak-gu Increasing Public and National Childcare Centers to 'Super Premium'?

Expansion of 84 National and Public Childcare Centers, 13 More Than in 2018... Exceeding 50% Usage Rate Target Set in the 7th Local Government Term Pledge

Gwanak-type Mother Center Director Park Jun-hee, who visited the first Nanhyang branch with children, is smiling while talking with officials.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures have made childcare burdens very heavy, but it is such a relief that new public and national daycare centers have been established where I can trust and leave my child, easing the burden of childcare during the COVID period.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is building a reliable childcare infrastructure that parents can trust to leave their children, creating a ‘Happy City Gwanak for Children and Parents.’

The district achieved an early attainment of over 50% utilization rate of public and national daycare centers, a pledge made during the 7th local government term to realize ‘Inclusive and Together Welfare Gwanak,’ thereby securing publicness and improving the quality of childcare services.

Public and national daycare centers prioritize vulnerable childcare, including extended hours care, making them highly preferred by parents. Additionally, the turnover rate of childcare teachers is low, providing a stable childcare environment for infants and young children who are sensitive to environmental changes.

Until now, public and national daycare centers have been preferred by parents, but supply has been insufficient compared to demand, resulting in long waiting lists and ongoing concerns.

In response, the district balanced the distribution of public and national daycare centers by neighborhood to strengthen public childcare and improve service quality, secured publicness of childcare, and continuously expanded public and national daycare centers by encouraging the conversion of private and home daycare centers into public ones.

Currently, the number of public and national daycare centers in Gwanak-gu has increased from 71 in 2018 to 84, an increase of 13 centers. In particular, the utilization rate of public and national daycare centers, which was only 38.9% in 2018, expanded to 50.9% as of December 2020.

Meanwhile, the district is focusing not only on the quantitative increase of public and national daycare centers but also on post-management such as energy efficiency improvements and green remodeling projects to reduce fine dust for four aging daycare centers, as well as remodeling and reconstruction work.

Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, “To efficiently execute the budget, we avoid constructing new public and national daycare centers and select target sites through continuous discussions and consensus-building with private and home daycare centers to encourage their conversion.”

The district is promoting coexistence by improving the aging environments of private and home daycare centers and supporting heating and cooling costs and labor expenses, alongside expanding public and national daycare centers.

Furthermore, the district is accelerating efforts to create a good childcare environment and expand care infrastructure.

The ‘Gwanak-gu Family Culture Welfare Center,’ which broke ground in June 2019, is located in Sinsa-dong, Gwanak-gu, with a total floor area of 3,999.8㎡ and 2 basement floors to 6 above-ground floors, and is scheduled to open in May this year. It offers an indoor play experience center for infants and toddlers, a toy library for young children, a comprehensive childcare support center, and a performance hall where cultural events stimulating children’s curiosity are held.

Additionally, four Gwanak-style Mother Centers called ‘I-rang,’ linked with communal childcare sharing spaces and open childcare rooms, are currently operating. ‘I-rang’ serves as a public playroom for infants and toddlers and a space for mutual aid and self-help groups for parenting parents. The district plans to expand the operation of ‘I-rang’ to a total of six centers by 2022, adding one more this year.

Mayor Park Jun-hee stated, “Since many dual-income couples live in Gwanak-gu, residents have a high interest in children’s childcare environments. We will continue to create an environment where all children living in Gwanak-gu grow up healthy and happy, and parents can trustingly leave their children.”

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