Opening of Songpa Kium Center 15th Branch... Realizing Seamless Care

'Converged Type' to Expand Niche Care... Night and Saturday Regular Operation... "Creating a Childcare Environment Nurtured Together by the Community"

Songpa Kium Center 15th Branch Origami

Songpa Kiwoom Center 15th Branch English Reading

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Amid the recent emphasis on the need for elementary school childcare due to COVID-19, Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) has opened the 15th branch of the ‘Songpa Kiwoom Center,’ embarking on the realization of seamless childcare.

The ‘Songpa Kiwoom Center’ is a child welfare facility for after-school care of elementary school students.

It provides a safe space with play and rest for students after school and offers reliable childcare services for parents who have difficulties caring for their children due to dual-income households, among other reasons.

To create a ‘child-friendly environment,’ the district selected ‘strengthening after-school care’ as a pledge project during the 7th local government term and has been working to expand the Songpa Kiwoom Centers over the past two years.

Four centers were established in 2019 and ten in 2020, which are currently in operation.

The 15th branch, opened on February 1 (Jamsilbon-dong 2nd branch, 139 Baekjegobun-ro), is the largest among the Songpa Kiwoom Centers, with a dedicated area of 210m² and a capacity of 45 people.

Considering the increasingly diverse childcare demands, the district specially designed the 15th branch as a ‘converged type.’ The ‘converged type’ adds functions such as meal provision linked with community childcare resources and coverage of care gaps during day and night as well as weekends, in addition to the Kiwoom Center’s role focused on child protection and play.

Accordingly, the 15th branch cooperates with nearby centers to provide dinner, morning care (from 8 a.m.), and physical activity programs such as climbing.

In particular, it is expected to help eliminate childcare blind spots by operating regularly on weekday nights (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and Saturdays (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

The service is available for elementary school students aged 6 to 12. Applications and other inquiries can be made to the Childcare and Youth Division of Songpa-gu Office.

The district plans to expand the Songpa Kiwoom Centers to 26 locations by 2022 to meet the increasing childcare demand. Based on big data analysis, centers will be prioritized in areas with childcare needs, and linked with the district’s unique education platform ‘Songpa Saem’ to provide diverse educational services beyond simple childcare, including culture and arts.

Mayor Park Seong-su of Songpa-gu stated, “As the saying goes, ‘It takes a whole village to raise a child,’ we will actively utilize local human and material resources such as the Songpa Kiwoom Center, the Inmul Library, and the Future Education Center to create a nurturing environment where the community raises children together.”

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