Oh Se-hoon to Create 'Child-Friendly Seoul'... 14.7 Trillion Won Invested Over 5 Years

"Mom and Dad Happiness Project" Fully Launched... 28 Projects in 4 Key Areas: Safe Care, Easy Outings, Health Healing, Work-Life Balance
New Monthly 300,000 KRW 'Childcare Helper Care Allowance and Voucher' for Those Below 150% Median Income
Up to 1.2 Million KRW 'Parental Leave Incentive' Support Starting Next Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will invest 14.7 trillion KRW over five years to provide a monthly childcare assistant care allowance of 300,000 KRW to households with infants under 36 months old. To alleviate the inconvenience of outings with children, it will install 'Seoul Mom and Dad VIP Zones' equipped with diaper changing stations, baby rest areas (nursing rooms), and relaxation spaces.

Additionally, to promote parental leave, starting next year, incentives of up to 1.2 million KRW will be provided. Free home visits by professional nurses for mothers exhausted from childcare will be supported, and a new voucher system for housekeeping helpers will be introduced.

On the 18th, Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the 'Mom and Dad Happiness Project,' which aims to ease the most realistic childcare burdens for parents with children aged 0 to 9 and foster a social atmosphere that respects parenting activities. The 'Mom and Dad Happiness Project' consists of 28 projects across four major areas: Safe Care, Comfortable Outings, Health and Healing, and Work-Life Balance. Including existing projects, a total of 14.7 trillion KRW (1.93 trillion KRW in new investments) will be invested over five years.

Mayor Oh said, "We prepared the ‘Mom and Dad Happiness Project’ with the mindset that Seoul will raise children aged 0 to 9, the period when parental care is most needed," adding, "We will continuously upgrade it to reduce the burden on caregivers and do our best so that caregivers themselves can feel that Seoul is a great city to raise children."

New 'Childcare Assistant Care Allowance and Voucher' for children under 36 months... Hospital accompaniment and temporary care for sick children

Seoul will first introduce the 'Childcare Assistant Care Allowance and Voucher' to ease the burden of so-called solo parenting due to the lack of reliable places to leave infants under 36 months. The city will also train 1,100 'infant-specialized babysitters' by 2026 to expand infant-focused care services.

Through the 'Childcare Assistant Care Allowance and Voucher,' the city will provide a monthly care allowance of 300,000 KRW (450,000 KRW for two children, 600,000 KRW for three children) to families who entrust their children to close relatives within the fourth degree of kinship, such as grandparents, or use private childcare services (vouchers for private services). The target is households with infants under 36 months whose income is below 150% of the median income, with a maximum support period of 12 months. The city plans to support 16,000 people starting next year and a cumulative total of 49,000 by 2026.

Furthermore, a new 'Temporary Care and Hospital Accompaniment Service for Sick Children' will be launched for emergencies, and the number of 'emergency care providers' such as hub-type night childcare and hourly childcare centers will be expanded from the current 745 to 1,226 by 2026. The 'Temporary Care and Hospital Accompaniment Service for Sick Children' involves dedicated babysitters accompanying parents to hospitals and providing temporary care. Some existing babysitters will be designated as dedicated caregivers and provide services upon request from families in need. An 'exclusive care space for sick children' will also be established, with a pilot operation at the fifth center (Seongbuk) opening this year and plans for expansion next year.

66 'Seoul Mom and Dad VIP Zones' to be installed by 2026... 'Seoul Mom and Dad Taxi' equipped with car seats to operate

In the 'Comfortable Outings' area, policies will be promoted to create a caregiver- and child-friendly environment so that outings with children are not inconvenient or awkward.

Seoul will increase the number of ‘Seoul Mom and Dad VIP Zones,’ equipped with diaper changing stations, baby rest areas (nursing rooms), and relaxation spaces, from 2 locations this year to 66 by 2026. 'Family restrooms' accessible regardless of gender will also expand from 13 locations this year to 169. Public offices such as the 'Seoul Art Book Report,' scheduled to open in September, will be equipped with necessary facilities in a basic form. Multi-use facilities like Hangang Park and DDP will have open relaxation spaces where visitors can rest freely, and cultural facilities such as Sejong Center and traditional markets will provide care services allowing parents to leave their children temporarily while watching performances or shopping.

Priority parking spaces for women in public parking lots will be converted into 'family priority parking' for vehicles accompanied by pregnant women, infants, and families with mobility difficulties. In cooperation with platform taxi companies, 'Seoul Mom and Dad Taxi' equipped with car seats will also operate. Starting next year, all 69 women-priority parking lots and 1,988 spaces in city public parking lots will prioritize vehicles with infants, pregnant women, or families with mobility challenges, and private parking lots will be encouraged to voluntarily convert as well.

Additionally, families raising infants under 24 months will receive an annual 100,000 KRW 'Seoul Mom and Dad Taxi' usage point to use family-exclusive large taxis equipped with car seats and capable of carrying strollers. Seoul plans to pilot this in 10 autonomous districts next year and expand it citywide.

New services such as postpartum massage and smart health management... Expansion of exclusive cultural programs for moms and dads

In the 'Health and Healing' area, the focus is on supporting exhausted parents and children to have time for physical and mental healing and to enjoy cultural activities they previously lacked time for.

Seoul provides free home visits by professional nurses to all postpartum mothers. Mothers within one year after childbirth will start new health management using smart bands. This support considers the significant physical and psychological changes women undergo during childbirth.

For parents who lack time for cultural activities, exclusive cultural programs will be expanded at venues such as Sejong Center, and a 'book package' consisting of parenting books, picture books, and childcare information leaflets will be gifted to all expectant parents. When selecting district and private festival projects, family-friendly festivals that operate childcare programs will receive at least 10% preferential support to expand festivals enjoyed by both parents and children.

Moreover, the 'Seoul Child Development Support Center' will open in March next year at Space Salim in Daebang-dong, providing one-stop services to prevent language and cognitive development delays in children growing up in rapidly changing childcare environments due to excessive smartphone exposure, COVID-19-related home confinement, and remote learning, including expert treatment.

From next year, up to 1.2 million KRW childcare leave incentives... New housekeeping service vouchers

Through the 'Work-Life Balance' projects, Seoul aims to create conditions where parents can work while raising children and reduce household worries so they can spend more time with their children. Childcare centers will start providing dinner support, and Kiwoom Centers will provide lunch support during school vacations to ease parents' meal preparation burdens.

To promote parental leave, starting next year, Seoul will provide 'Mom and Dad Childcare Leave Incentives' of up to 1.2 million KRW. It will also begin providing four hours per day of housekeeping services for pregnant women, dual-income families, and families with multiple children. The childcare leave incentive targets those on leave for six months or more (household income below 150% of median income), with 600,000 KRW paid after six months and an additional 600,000 KRW after 12 months. The city plans to support 10,000 people starting next year and 34,000 by 2026. Housekeeping services will be provided as vouchers, six times per household (four hours each time), covering cleaning, laundry, tidying, and cooking. The city plans to start with 13,000 households next year and increase to 52,000 by 2026.

Additionally, women who had to leave the workforce due to pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare will receive internship opportunities and job search activity support funds. Companies hiring interns as regular employees will receive employment promotion subsidies. The city will provide up to 900,000 KRW (300,000 KRW × 3 months) in 'Women Up Job Search Activity Support Funds' to career-holding women aged 30-40 with household income below 150% of median income. Women with certifications or professional experience will be offered private sector work experience (three months, 2 million KRW monthly salary) through the 'Women Up Internship' program, with employment linkage support.

Meanwhile, the city will also conduct a citywide awareness campaign to create a social atmosphere where childbirth, childcare, and parents and children are respected. To spread a parenting-friendly corporate culture, Seoul plans to give additional points to companies with work-life balance when selecting Seoul-type small and medium enterprises and will lead by example starting with city, investment-funded institutions, and private companies supported by the city.

Mayor Oh emphasized, "The reality where parents face various hardships despite giving everything for their children's happiness is exactly why Seoul focuses on the happiness of moms and dads," adding, "'Mom and Dad Happiness Project' is just the beginning."

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