Incheon City Invests 2 Trillion Won to Create a Child-Friendly City

Supply of 1,764 Public Rental Housing Units for Youth and Newlyweds
First Opening of 'Incheon-style Postpartum Care Center' and Support for Male Childcare Activities

Opening Ceremony of Namdong-gu Aisarang Dream Center Branch No. 1
Photo by Incheon City

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City is accelerating efforts to create a "child-friendly city, Incheon" with a budget of about 2 trillion won this year.

The city announced on the 19th that it plans to invest 1.9873 trillion won, an 18.8% increase from the previous year, in 147 projects this year aimed at creating a pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing friendly environment.

In particular, this year, the city has focused on supplementing projects such as youth job support, housing measures for young people and newlyweds, and support for male childcare activities to promote a work-life balance culture.

First, for employed and entrepreneurial youth, monthly rent support of up to 100,000 won will be provided, and the supply of public rental housing for young people and newlyweds will be significantly increased from 380 households last year to 1,764 households this year.

Also, for the first time this year, five "Incheon-type postpartum care centers" will be selected and are scheduled to open simultaneously in June. The Incheon-type postpartum care centers are a project initiated by Incheon City, the first of its kind nationwide, to strengthen the public nature of private postpartum care centers.

Among private postpartum care centers, excellent centers will be selected through service quality evaluations including infection prevention, safety management, and care for mothers and newborns, and up to 30 million won in costs can be supported for expanding infection prevention and safety management equipment.

Various childcare education programs such as parent-child attachment relationship formation education will be implemented, and after mothers are discharged, home visit nursing services will be provided to prevent postpartum depression and educate on breastfeeding methods.

In the care service sector, focusing on expanding publicness, 660 national/public-type/Incheon-type daycare centers, 24 Dahamkke Care Centers, and 36 Aisarang Dream Centers will be operated.

Furthermore, to guarantee men's caregiving rights, the "Incheon Dad Childcare Angel Group" project will be expanded to support men in sharing childcare information and forming networks. A system to activate male parental leave will also be established to promote a society where work and caregiving coexist.

Jo Jin-sook, Director of the Women and Family Bureau of Incheon City, stated, "It is an important time to actively respond to the youth's reluctance to marry and the low birthrate phenomenon and to prepare policies that can bring about practical changes," adding, "Incheon City will focus on promoting policies that accommodate various family types and reflect changes in youth values."

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