Seoul to Revive 786 At-Risk Daycare Centers with 10.6 Billion Won Injection

Expansion of the "Companion Daycare Center" Designation Program
Support for Consulting, Operating Expenses, and More for Two Years

File photo of a daycare center. Not related to the article.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will designate daycare centers that are at risk of closure due to a decline in the number of infants and toddlers as "Companion Daycare Centers" and invest a budget of 10.6 billion won this year.

On February 10, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will expand the designation of Companion Daycare Centers from 699 centers last year to a cumulative total of 786 centers this year, and will invest an annual budget of 10.6 billion won.

Daycare centers eligible to be designated as Companion Daycare Centers are those with an enrollment rate of less than 70% and located at least 200 meters away from other facilities, or those with an enrollment rate of less than 60% and a capacity of fewer than 50 children. Among these, facilities where closure is expected to create a childcare gap in the local community have been given priority.

The Companion Daycare Center program, which began in 2024, started by supporting 525 centers in its first year, then a cumulative 699 centers last year, and is expanding support to 786 centers this year.

Once designated as a Companion Daycare Center, a facility can receive various benefits for two years, including management consulting, priority support for improving the teacher-to-child ratio, and priority placement of assistant and substitute teachers.

In particular, participation in the program reduces the number of children cared for by each teacher, which improves the quality of childcare and reduces the workload of childcare teachers. Last year, 670 centers received support. This year, for one class in each age group, the program will provide 515,000 won per month for 1-year-old classes, 426,000 won per month for 2-year-old classes, and 1.65 million won per month for 3-year-old classes.

Ma Chae-suk, Director General for Women and Family Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "This year, we will further strengthen the scale and content of support so that daycare centers do not have to close, and we will do our best to create a childcare environment in which children and parents can feel safe."

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