Nowon-gu Allocates 31 Billion KRW to Create Optimal Childcare Environment

12 Billion Won Allocated for Environment Improvement of 322 Local Daycare Centers with 700,000~1,000,000 Won Support... From This Year, Full Salary Allowance for Directors of 346 Public, Private, and Home Daycare Centers Provided... 100,000 Won COVID-19 Disaster Relief per Center, Support for Purchasing Quarantine Supplies... 31 Billion Won Budget Invested to Strengthen Public Childcare This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will invest 31 billion KRW from the district budget to create an optimal childcare environment.

The main objectives are to improve the environment of daycare centers and strengthen the public nature of childcare through payment of director duty allowances.

First, to improve aging childcare facilities, the district will provide 1.2 billion KRW to a total of 322 daycare centers in the area. The environmental improvement funds, which can be used for renovation and repair of safety-related facilities and equipment such as waterproofing, insulation, and fire safety, will be paid differentially based on the daycare center’s opening date.

The support amounts range from 7 million to 2 million KRW for public daycare centers, 7 million to 3 million KRW for private centers, and 3 million to 1 million KRW for home-based daycare centers.

Also, starting this year, the director duty allowance for daycare center directors will be fully supported by the district budget. The support amount is 80,000 KRW per month, and the beneficiaries are 346 directors of public, private, and home daycare centers in the area.

Until now, 80,000 KRW per month has been provided as welfare expenses for childcare teachers, but there has been no support for daycare center directors as managers, raising the need for improved treatment.

This duty allowance support is expected to increase the sense of responsibility for daycare center operations and lead to improved quality of childcare services through better working conditions.

In addition, the district will provide 1 million KRW in disaster relief funds per daycare center in the area. This measure is to help daycare centers facing operational difficulties such as prolonged closures and decreased enrollment due to the spread of COVID-19.

Support for infectious disease prevention will also be strengthened. First, 800,000 to 1 million KRW per center will be provided for purchasing quarantine supplies such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and facility disinfection. To prevent group food poisoning incidents, 700,000 KRW will be provided for purchasing refrigerated storage freezers and storage containers for meals. This applies to small daycare centers with 21 to fewer than 50 children enrolled.

Furthermore, the district plans to create the best childcare environment by supporting infant snack expenses to improve children’s health, field trip vehicle expenses for ecological experiences, and teaching materials and equipment for public daycare centers. It will also provide welfare expenses for childcare teachers and cooking staff allowances to improve the treatment of childcare workers and provide high-quality childcare services.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “I understand that there are many difficulties in operating daycare centers due to COVID-19 and low birth rates,” adding, “We will spare no support to reduce the childcare burden on parents and create a trusted childcare environment.”

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