Seoul City Recruiting 'Foster Parents' for Children in Need of Protection... Supporting Growth of Children Under 18

Seoul City Permanency Support Center Continuously Recruits Foster Parents, Activities Begin After Completing Required Training

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Family Foster Care Support Center announced on the 4th that it is continuously recruiting 'family foster parents' who will lovingly care for children in need of protection.

As of last year, there were 796 foster children in Seoul, protected in 666 foster families. Among them, 70 foster children are cared for in general foster families without blood relations, while the remaining 726 children are cared for by relatives such as extended family or grandparents.

The participation of general foster parents, who have no relation to the child but wish to raise protected children, is the core of the family foster care program. Although the number of general foster families increased from 55 in 2020 to 70 in 2021, it is still insufficient compared to the number of children in need of protection.

Civilians interested in social service and practicing love by raising children in need of protection can apply anytime through the Seoul Family Foster Care Support Center. After passing a review of certain qualification requirements and completing training, they can become foster parents. The qualifications include residing in Seoul, being 25 years or older, having an age difference of less than 60 years with the foster child, having fewer than four children including biological children, and having no history of child abuse or domestic violence.

Furthermore, there is an urgent need to cultivate and discover specialized foster families who care for children requiring special attention, such as abuse victims and infants under two years old. Recruitment is also ongoing for foster parents with professional qualifications such as social workers, nurses, and youth counselors. Seoul City provides economic support to alleviate the child-rearing burden on foster families, offering monthly child-rearing subsidies ranging from 300,000 to 1,000,000 KRW, as well as financial assistance for university entrance fees, self-reliance settlement funds, vocational training expenses, and accident insurance premiums.

Lim Ji-hoon, Seoul City Family Officer, said, “We hope many citizens will show interest and participate in the family foster care program, which lovingly raises children who cannot be raised directly by their parents for various reasons.” He added, “Seoul City will continue to create an environment where children in need of protection can grow up in a safe shelter.”

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