'Seoul-type Moa Daycare Center' 5.4:1 Competition Rate... Expanded to 245 Locations

20 New Communities, 83 Locations, Operating from March

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 23rd that the new recruitment for the ‘Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers’ has concluded with a high competition rate of 5.4 to 1. Through an open recruitment, Seoul selected 20 communities and 83 daycare centers, which will begin operations across all autonomous districts starting in March.

With this, the ‘Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers’ will expand to a total of 60 communities and 245 daycare centers, adding to the 40 communities and 162 daycare centers selected and operating from 2021 to 2022. Seoul plans to expand to 100 communities by 2025.

The ‘Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers’ is a representative new childcare model by Mayor Oh Se-hoon, which groups 3 to 5 national/public, private, and home daycare centers within walking distance into one community to raise children together. According to the 'Seoul Childcare Mid- to Long-term Master Plan' announced in 2021, it was expanded to all 25 autonomous districts starting last year.

As a result of operating the ‘Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers’ last year, participating daycare centers saved 147 million KRW in costs through sharing vehicles, supplies, and teaching materials, joint purchasing of educational tools, and co-hosting events. Various achievements were made, such as sharing children on waiting lists at national/public daycare centers with private and home daycare centers within the community to support quick admissions (88 children). It also serves as a model of harmony and coexistence beyond daycare center types, with high satisfaction among caregivers and great interest in the childcare field.

This year, especially, by encouraging participation from daycare centers for children with disabilities and multicultural daycare centers (8 out of 20 new communities), various community models are being attempted to practice ‘walking together with the vulnerable.’ Additionally, the plan includes participation of daycare centers offering hub-type extended night care (15 centers), exclusive classes for infants under 1 year old (4 centers), and meal support, allowing children within the community to use these services together.

The city supports 5 million KRW per selected community for joint program operation costs and 700,000 KRW per daycare center for environmental improvement expenses.

The selected daycare centers have completed forming director councils and teacher groups and are planning substantial joint programs tailored to regional characteristics. The city will generously support the actual implementation of these planned programs through a community director workshop scheduled for March.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, “The Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers have shown visible results such as cost reduction, shared admissions, and joint execution of quality childcare programs, attracting high interest and participation in the childcare field.” She added, “We will do our best to promote the improvement of childcare quality through cooperative coexistence among daycare centers and to establish the Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers as a nationally representative new childcare model.”

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