Gangwon-do to Increase Monthly 'Basic Childcare Allowance' by 100,000 Won This Year

Reference photo [Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] At the 297th Gangwon Provincial Council extraordinary session, the 'Gangwon-do Childcare Basic Allowance Support Ordinance' was amended to increase the childcare basic allowance from 300,000 KRW to 400,000 KRW per month to alleviate the economic burden on families raising children and to encourage childbirth.

According to Gangwon-do on the 2nd, last year the province raised the childcare basic allowance payment amount this year based on a meaningful policy effect study from the 'Childcare Basic Allowance Effectiveness Analysis Research,' which showed an increase in total fertility rate and a mitigation in the decline rate of births.

According to the population trend data for December 2020 released by Statistics Korea on the 24th of last month, the birth decline rate in Gangwon-do was 5.4%, which is 4.6% lower than the national average (10.0%), recording the lowest birth decline rate nationwide.

Gangwon-do cited the synergy effects of childbirth encouragement policies such as childcare basic allowance support, postpartum health care support, visiting obstetrics and gynecology services, and Gangwon-type job security deductions as reasons for the lowest birth decline rate.

In particular, it was predicted that the impact of the Gangwon-do childcare basic allowance, implemented nationwide for the first time since 2019, would be significant. Since 2019, the province has provided 14.4 million KRW over four years to all newborns in the province regardless of income, attracting nationwide attention.

Woo Young-seok, Director of the Welfare Policy Division of the province, stated, "We will strive to overcome low birth rates and improve child welfare through expanding care projects, reforming the child protection system, including the childcare basic allowance."

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