Monthly 'Parent Allowance' of 700,000 KRW for Children Aged 0... Must Apply Within 60 Days of Birth

Ministry of Health and Welfare Announces Eligibility and Application Methods
350,000 KRW for Children Aged 1... Expansion Planned Next Year
Childcare Vouchers Provided for Children Attending Daycare Centers

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Starting from the new year, the government will provide 'Parent Allowance' to support infant care. From this month, children aged 0 will receive 700,000 KRW per month, and children turning 1 year old will receive 350,000 KRW per month.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 3rd that this Parent Allowance will be paid starting this year. The Parent Allowance was introduced to compensate for income loss due to childbirth or childcare and to reduce the burden of parenting on families.

First, children aged 0 will receive 700,000 KRW per month, and children turning 1 year old will receive 350,000 KRW per month. From next year, the support amount will be increased to 1,000,000 KRW per month for 0-year-olds and 500,000 KRW per month for 1-year-olds.

When using daycare centers, both 0-year-old and 1-year-old children can receive a childcare voucher worth 514,000 KRW. Since the Parent Allowance of 700,000 KRW for 0-year-olds is greater than the childcare voucher support amount, the difference of 186,000 KRW will be paid in cash.

To receive the Parent Allowance for the first time, an application must be submitted within 60 days including the child's birth date. If applied within 60 days after birth, support will be retroactively provided from the month of birth, but if applied after 60 days, support will start from the month of application, so caution is advised.

The Parent Allowance can be applied for by visiting the local community service center (eup, myeon, dong) of the child's registered address or online through the 'Bokjiro' or 'Government24' websites. If parents apply in person at a community center, they can apply at any community center nationwide regardless of address, but online applications are only available for biological parents. Additionally, the Parent Allowance can be applied for together with the birth registration through the 'Happy Birth One-Stop Service.'

If you plan to use daycare or full-day childcare services, you must apply to change to childcare fees or full-day childcare services. When using full-day childcare services, the support amount varies depending on household income, so parents can choose the more advantageous support method between the Parent Allowance and full-day childcare service support based on household income type and usage time.

If you were receiving the infant allowance (30,000 KRW cash per month or childcare fees) as of December last year, there is no need to reapply. However, guardians of children aged 0 as of January this year (born between February and December 2022) who attend daycare and receive childcare fee support must register a bank account to receive the Parent Allowance difference of 186,000 KRW. Account information can be entered on the Bokjiro website from the 4th to the 15th, and if you prefer to register in person, you can visit the community service center in charge of the child's registered address.

The Parent Allowance will be deposited into the registered account on the 25th of each month starting from the 25th of this month. Choi Jong-gyun, Director of Population Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "With the Parent Allowance being paid from the new year, it is expected to provide significant economic help to parents and contribute to giving children a healthy starting point," adding, "Along with the introduction of the Parent Allowance, we will diversify parenting capacity-building programs, expand part-time childcare, and do our best to provide comprehensive parenting support to practically reduce the burden of parenting after childbirth."

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