Boseong-gun Provides Comprehensive Maternal and Child Health Support Throughout Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting Stages

Published 27 May.2024 11:50(KST)

Realizing Boseong as a Great Place to Have and Raise Children

Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it is implementing childbirth promotion policies to alleviate the economic burden on families with newborns, realizing "Boseong, a good place to have and raise children."

As the saying goes, it takes a whole village to raise a child, and rather than placing the responsibility of low birth rates on individuals, fundamental solutions such as reducing social burdens are necessary.

Jeamsan Natural Recreation Forest Safe Children's Playground [Photo by Boseong-gun]

Under the 8th elected administration, Boseong-gun is focusing on enabling couples to experience joy and happiness throughout marriage and childbirth by implementing inclusive and warm childbirth promotion policies from pregnancy to child-rearing.

▲ Sharing the burden of pregnancy preparation

Considering the rural characteristics where medical benefits are relatively harder to access compared to metropolitan areas, Boseong-gun is carrying out various maternal and child health support projects.

For couples planning their first pregnancy, health checkup expenses for newlyweds (prospective couples) are supported, and for couples facing difficulties conceiving, infertility treatment costs and traditional Korean medicine infertility treatment costs are provided.

Infertility treatment costs are supported from 300,000 KRW per session up to a maximum of 1,100,000 KRW, and traditional Korean medicine infertility treatment costs cover treatments worth approximately 1,800,000 KRW per person.

▲ Creating a safe environment for pregnancy and childbirth

Pregnant women receive support for folic acid and iron supplements, the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Plus program, and medical expenses for teenage mothers (up to 1,200,000 KRW).

In particular, to reduce the economic burden on families due to excessive medical expenses, medical costs for high-risk pregnant women are supported up to 3,000,000 KRW with no income criteria.

Additionally, for pregnant women and families with infants registered at the public health center, a non-face-to-face cooking and parenting class is conducted using a closed Nuri communication network service (Naver Band), sharing knowledge on prenatal care, safe delivery, postpartum care, and child-rearing, while providing opportunities for healthy cooking practice using seasonal foods.

▲ Joining forces for the health of mothers and newborns (母兒)

Mothers who have given birth receive the First Meeting Voucher (2,000,000 KRW for the first child, 3,000,000 KRW for the second child and beyond), public postpartum care center usage fees (up to 1,070,000 KRW) or Boseong-gun postpartum care cost support (800,000 KRW for the first child, 1,000,000 KRW for the second child and beyond), and support for low-income families’ diapers and formula (90,000 KRW per month for diapers up to 24 months, 110,000 KRW for formula and baby food).

They also provide the "I Love You Mother Box," which contains newborn clothes and bathing supplies, and a footprint frame that includes the child's birth date, fetal name, and blood type.

Furthermore, childbirth incentives are provided: 6,000,000 KRW for the first child, 7,200,000 KRW for the second child, and 10,800,000 KRW for the third child. Health management service fees for mothers and newborns in families within the jurisdiction are also supported to help ease economic burdens.

This year, income criteria have been completely abolished for support related to detailed developmental examinations for infants and young children, medical expenses for premature and congenital anomaly infants, congenital metabolic disorder examination fees, support for patients with congenital metabolic disorders, congenital hearing loss examination fees, and hearing aid support.

Accordingly, support for detailed developmental examination fees for infants and young children ranges from 200,000 to 400,000 KRW; medical expenses for premature and congenital anomaly infants range from 3,000,000 to 10,000,000 KRW for premature infants and up to 5,000,000 KRW for congenital anomaly infants; congenital metabolic disorder examination fees up to 70,000 KRW; congenital hearing loss examination fees up to 70,000 KRW; and hearing aids are supported at 1,350,000 KRW per device, depending on the case.

For children under six years old, free examinations and consultations covering 22 items in five areas (measurement, assessment, medical history, examination, education) and oral examinations are also conducted at the Boseong-gun Public Health Center.

Kim Cheol-woo, Governor of Boseong-gun, said, "We will accompany parents with a caring heart throughout the entire process to ensure that preparing for pregnancy and childbirth is healthy and happy," adding, "We will implement welfare policies reflecting the voices of residents to realize Boseong as a good place to have and raise children."