Jangseong-gun to Build a 'National Public Daycare Center' Near Baekyangsa Station

Published 07 Aug.2023 14:45(KST)

A public daycare center will be built near Baekyangsa Station in Buk-i-myeon, Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do.

On the 7th, the county announced that it was selected for the first time in Jeollanam-do in the 'Kids Rail Daycare Center Creation Project Contest' hosted by the Korea Rail Network Authority.

The 'Kids Rail Daycare Center Creation Project' is a project by the Korea Rail Network Authority to build public daycare centers by utilizing idle spaces at railway stations.

Site location map. [Photo by Jangseong-gun]

Starting as a pilot project in 2019, four daycare centers have been opened nationwide up to this year. Two more are under construction, and Jangseong-gun will be the seventh.

Buk-i-myeon, where Baekyangsa Station is located, is an area in urgent need of daycare centers. A private daycare center that served three northern areas, including Buk-i-myeon, closed in March, causing significant difficulties for parents.

Seeking a solution, the county applied for the Korea Rail Network Authority contest in April and, after on-site investigations, achieved the great success of being finally selected as the project site.

The public daycare center will be built on a site near Baekyangsa Station with a total floor area of 300㎡ (90 pyeong). It will be constructed using eco-friendly materials considering the health of the children.

The estimated budget is about 3 billion KRW, with Jangseong-gun bearing approximately 4% of the cost.

The county plans to sign a business agreement with the Honam Headquarters of the Korea Rail Network Authority within this month and then proceed with the construction project in earnest. The goal is to complete it by 2025.

County Governor Kim Han-jong said, “The construction of the Baekyangsa Station Kids Rail Daycare Center is expected to solve the urgent childcare issues in the northern region and bring vitality to the area,” adding, “We will proceed without any setbacks to meet the expectations of parents and local residents.”

Meanwhile, the county has been making continuous efforts to improve the childcare environment by supporting 50% of the wages for daycare helpers and 20% of the wages for preschool teachers.