Seocho-gu Launches 'Body and Mind Strong' Health Project for Vulnerable Children

From the 26th, 12 sessions of 'Healthy Meal' with added care for 50 households in need of support... Expanding target beyond wealthy, grandparent-grandchild, and multicultural families to include emotionally at-risk households... Operating 'Youth Obesity Management Program' to prevent obesity in vulnerable children due to remote classes and staying home

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seocho-gu (Mayor Eunhee Jo) is promoting the ‘Strong Body and Mind’ health project targeting vulnerable children in the area to alleviate the increased caregiving and parenting burdens on child protectors, especially in father-child households or emotionally distressed families, due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation where children cannot attend school.

First, starting in March, the ‘Healthy One Meal’ program will be expanded for families requiring special care.

The ‘Healthy One Meal’ program, launched in September last year, supports father-child families, grandparent-grandchild families, multicultural families, and other households needing child care, who have difficulty preparing meals due to increased time spent at home during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, by providing easy-to-cook single-dish meal sets to relieve household burdens and address children’s health imbalances.

This year, the program will expand support to a total of 50 families, including not only father-child, grandparent-grandchild, and multicultural families but also households experiencing depression or emotional crises due to COVID-19, thereby strengthening the care safety net.

Normally, general meal sets such as Mille-feuille Nabe, Beef Chop Steak, Gambas al Ajillo, and Beef Brisket Soft Tofu Stew worth about 30,000 KRW per meal are provided. On special occasions like Children’s Day and Christmas, special full-course sets (Beef Chop Steak, Gambas al Ajillo, Aglio e Olio Pasta, Danish Organic Tea Brew) are offered so families can enjoy meaningful events together.

A satisfaction survey on the ‘Healthy One Meal’ program showed high satisfaction with 83.3% rating it very good and 16.7% good. The most appreciated aspects were being able to eat dishes not usually encountered (66.7%), ease and simplicity of cooking (25%), and the opportunity to cook with children (8.3%).

Kim Hoon (64, pseudonym), a father-child household living with his child, currently suffers from depression, anger management issues, angina, and hypertension. Kim said, “Thanks to the support of Healthy One Meal during the difficult COVID-19 period, I was able to prepare and enjoy foods I usually don’t with my child, creating happy memories, for which I am very grateful.”

Meanwhile, the district operates the customized program ‘Seocho Humming School’ to address the reduced physical activity and obesity issues among general youth as well as vulnerable children due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Seocho Humming School is a project linked with the sports specialist company Kolon Sporex, aimed at improving youth fitness and promoting healthy growth and development.

Before operation, a preference survey was conducted among participants to enhance satisfaction, resulting in three programs: dance classes, bodyweight exercises for strength improvement and obesity management, and family health management programs.

These programs are developed and taught by professional sports instructors and operated non-face-to-face through video production to prevent COVID-19 spread and ensure safe participation.

Last week, a preliminary evaluation was conducted during the first week of Seocho Humming School classes for efficient operation.

All participants underwent obesity measurement for health data analysis and collection, followed by personalized health consultations on exercise goals, necessity, and methods.

An open channel will be separately operated to enhance communication through post-evaluation, thereby increasing effectiveness.

The program will be produced 108 times from March to November and uploaded weekly on the Naver Band ‘Seocho Dream Classroom,’ Seocho-gu Office website’s recommended YouTube channels, and the ‘KOLONSPOREX Seocho Sports Complex’ YouTube channel.

Additionally, a ‘Psychological and Emotional Support Project’ will be conducted to relieve stress caused by learning gaps and conflicts with parents due to staying at home. Over 170 ‘Seoripul Saem’ and ‘Career Coaching Planners’ will provide weekly emotional support through wired and wireless monitoring for vulnerable children and children at local community centers, and if expert counseling is needed, psychological treatment costs will be supported through linkage with psychological counseling institutions.

Seocho-gu Mayor Eunhee Jo said, “We will build a robust care safety net to fill care gaps through companionship with the vulnerable who face difficulties in caregiving,” adding, “We will carefully and meticulously support socially disadvantaged groups who have become more vulnerable due to COVID-19, not just to endure day by day but to nurture their future dreams.”

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