"Support for Foster Children and Youth Independence" Samsung Hope Didimdol Daejeon Center Established

The ‘Samsung Hope Stepping Stone Daejeon Center’ (hereinafter referred to as the Daejeon Center), which will support the independence of protected children and youth, will open this year.

(From left) Yu Jae-wook, Head of Daejeon Branch of Community Chest of Korea, Lee Jung-bae, President of Samsung Electronics Memory Division, Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon, and Yang Seung-yeon, President of Daejeon Child Welfare Association, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing the agreement. Provided by Daejeon City

On the 29th, Daejeon City announced that it signed a business agreement at Daejeon City Hall with Samsung, the Community Chest of Korea, and the Daejeon Child Welfare Association to establish the Daejeon Center.

The agreement was signed to publicly announce the launch of the Daejeon Center as part of the support project for the independence of protected children and youth, and to establish a cooperative system among the participating organizations.

The signing ceremony was attended by Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon, Lee Jeong-bae, President of Samsung Electronics Memory Business Division, Yoo Jae-wook, Head of the Daejeon Branch of the Community Chest of Korea, and Yang Seung-yeon, President of the Daejeon Child Welfare Association.

The Daejeon Center will open in the second half of this year and will support children and youth who are scheduled to leave child care facilities or foster care, as well as those within five years after leaving care, and young people preparing for independence.

It will provide about 20 residential and experiential spaces, including single rooms for one person for up to two years, experience rooms, and communal living spaces to support independent living. The center will operate programs that offer opportunities to develop independence skills such as interpersonal relationships and financial management, which are necessary for independence preparation education.

Once the Daejeon Center opens, it is expected that children and youth preparing for independence after leaving local child protection facilities will receive practical support. It is estimated that about 520 people leave facilities annually in the region to prepare for independence.

The construction and operation of the Daejeon Center will be managed comprehensively by the Daejeon Child Welfare Association. Ownership will be transferred to the city in the form of a donation after registration.

Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon, said, “We expect the Daejeon Center to serve as a helper and a safety net for children and young people preparing for independence who must face society after leaving facilities,” adding, “The city will do its best to help protected children and young people preparing for independence grow into healthy members of society, centered around the Daejeon Center.”

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