Making Pohang a Better Place to Raise Children

Pohang City Operates First Meeting Voucher and Childcare Supplies Support Center

Pohang City, Gyeongbuk, has implemented various childcare support measures to become a better place for raising children.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Intern Reporter Lee Seryeong] Pohang City in Gyeongbuk is preparing support measures to reduce childcare costs for residents and create a community where children and parents can live happily.

Pohang City aims to become a child-rearing friendly area by providing financial aid and childcare supplies to households struggling with raising children due to financial and material reasons. Ultimately, this is a strategy to increase the birth rate.

After partially revising and promulgating the Ordinance on Support for Birth Promotion in Pohang City last August, the city plans to expand birth promotion subsidies next year.

From January 1 onward, the subsidy for the first child will increase from 300,000 KRW to 1,000,000 KRW, for the second child from 1,100,000 KRW to 2,900,000 KRW, for the third child from 2,200,000 KRW to 4,100,000 KRW, and for the fourth child and beyond from 11,200,000 KRW to 13,100,000 KRW.

Adopted children and newborns in newly moved-in families are also included, and the central government provides a one-time “First Meeting Voucher” worth about 2,000,000 KRW for children born from 2022.

The city is currently operating childcare supply support centers at five locations, prioritizing the centers at the Women’s Culture Center, Yeonil-eup Small Library, and the second floor of Heunghae-eup Administrative Welfare Center. Centers inside the Nam-gu and Buk-gu public health centers, which are restricted to the general public, will open later.

The center located in the Women’s Culture Center operates every weekday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Yeonil-eup operates every Friday, and Heunghae-eup every Wednesday.

At the centers, any Pohang citizen can borrow childcare supplies such as car seats and strollers free of charge, and each loan period lasts for three weeks.

The city operates the Ainuri Toy Library to reduce the burden of purchasing toys for infants and toddlers and to allow children to experience a variety of toys.

There are Ainuri Toy Libraries at Batmeori in Sangdae-dong, Nam-gu, Ocheon Ainuri in Ocheon-eup, Nam-gu, and Jangryang Ainuri in Jangryang-dong, Buk-gu, with one more planned in Heunghae-eup, Buk-gu next year.

The city operates public stroller rental stations at Cheolgil Forest, Hwanho Park, and Yeongildae Beach for families with children under six years old before school age, allowing anyone to use them free of charge year-round by submitting only an ID regardless of their address.

At Cheolgil Forest, strollers can be rented at the free bicycle rental station in front of Hyoja Church; at Hwanho Park, at the park management office and Hwanho Children’s Small Library; and at Yeongildae Beach, the rental station is operated at the Sea City Hall.

Lee Seunghun, head of the Women and Family Division, said, “We will prepare various measures to overcome the low birth rate problem and reduce the economic burden on citizens.”

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