Seongdong-gu Childcare Services Get Better

Strengthening 'Seongdong-type Childcare Service Support' in 2024... Expansion of Teacher-to-Child Ratio Improvement Project to 40 Sites, Increase in Meal Allowance to 10,000 KRW for Infants and 5,000 KRW for Young Children... Dispatch of Dedicated Nurses to 80 Daycare Centers, Continued Parent Monitoring Group, Establishment of Wireless Communication Technology Support Project for Missing Child Prevention

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeong Wono) announced that it will strengthen the ‘Seongdong-type Childcare Service Support’ in areas such as daycare center operation, meals, children’s health, and safety to improve the quality of childcare and create a safe and pleasant childcare environment.

Seongdong-type Teacher-to-Child Ratio Improvement Project Expanded to Up to 40 Daycare Centers

From the second half of 2023, Seongdong-gu has expanded support for the teacher-to-child ratio improvement project to include classes for children aged 4 and above. This project reduces the number of children assigned per childcare teacher below the legal standard. While Seoul city targets 0-year-old and 3-year-old classes, Seongdong-gu allocates separate district funds to extend the project to classes for children aged 4 and above. Starting in 2024, the number of participating daycare centers will be expanded from the current 26 to up to 40, aiming to reduce childcare teachers’ workload and create a safer childcare environment.

Additional Snack and Meal Support Increased to 10,000 KRW for Infants and 5,000 KRW for Young Children

From this year, Seongdong-gu will raise the additional snack and meal support funds so that children enrolled in daycare centers can enjoy higher quality meals. In addition to Seoul city’s snack and meal support (4,040 KRW for infants, 16,840 KRW for young children), the district provides extra funds. Starting this year, the support amount will increase from 8,000 KRW to 10,000 KRW for infants and from 3,000 KRW to 5,000 KRW for young children, enabling the provision of higher quality and more balanced meals.

Dedicated Nurses Dispatched Twice a Year to 80 Daycare Centers

In the second half of last year, Seongdong-gu piloted a visiting nursing service by dispatching dedicated nurses to daycare centers to provide developmental monitoring, health management, and health education for enrolled children. The satisfaction survey showed over 90% satisfaction, receiving strong positive feedback from parents and childcare staff. From this year, dedicated nurses will be regularly dispatched twice a year to 80 daycare centers with fewer than 100 children in the district to further support children’s health.

Seongdong-type Parent Monitoring Group Composed of Parents and Experts to Continue

Seongdong-gu will continue the 2024 Seongdong-type Parent Monitoring Group project. This project involves a monitoring group composed of parents or related private personnel who conduct on-site inspections to ensure daycare centers operate safely and transparently. Although this project was supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, it ended in 2023. The district will fund the project from this year onward to continue it without interruption, aiming to operate daycare centers that parents can trust and rely on.

New NFC-Based Missing Child Prevention Wireless Communication Technology Support Project for Children Over 24 Months

Starting this year, a new support project using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology will be launched to prevent missing children during external activities such as field trips from daycare centers. NFC is a wireless communication technology that exchanges data within a distance of 10 cm. When children carry items equipped with NFC during field trips, if they get lost, their location can be immediately transmitted to their guardians by tagging with a smartphone without the need to install a separate app. This is expected to effectively prevent missing child incidents and contribute greatly to creating a safer childcare environment.

Jeong Wono, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "We are doing our best to create a high-quality childcare environment by expanding and strengthening childcare service support. We will continue to make more meticulous efforts to make Seongdong a better place to have and raise children."

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