Yangcheon District Expands 'Overnight Emergency Care' Nurseries from 23 to 27 Locations

Elementary School-Aged Siblings Now Included

First Overnight Kiwoom Center Service for Elementary Students in Seoul

On April 6, Yangcheon District in Seoul (Mayor Lee Ki-jae) announced that it will expand its 'Yangcheon-Style Overnight Emergency Care Service' to address gaps in nighttime childcare. The number of emergency care nurseries will increase from 23 to 27, and starting this year, the service will be extended to include not only infants and toddlers but also their elementary school-aged siblings.

In the alliance plaque unveiling ceremony of the 'Yangcheon-style Overnight Emergency Care Kiwoom Center,' Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon District (center front row), and officials are seen. Provided by Yangcheon District.

The 'Yangcheon-Style Overnight Emergency Care Nursery' is available for children aged 12 months to 7 years, operating from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. the following day. Each child can use the service for up to 80 hours in total.

The main beneficiaries are families who suddenly require childcare due to reasons such as parents' night shifts, business trips, or illness. To improve user convenience, the emergency application window has been extended from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the same day, and the application process has been simplified through phone registration via the 120 call center.

In particular, Yangcheon District has signed operational agreements with nine 'Our Neighborhood Kiwoom Centers' in the district and, for the first time in Seoul, is launching overnight emergency care services for elementary school students (ages 6 to 12). The service operates from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day, and applications can be submitted to the nearest Kiwoom Center by 7 p.m. on the day of care.

To improve service reliability, the district will introduce a 'facility certification system' and attach certification plaques. The district is also planning to join a special insurance agreement with the Daycare Center Safety Mutual Aid Association to strengthen the safety net in case of accidents.

Since introducing overnight emergency care nurseries for the first time nationwide in 2023, Yangcheon District has continuously advanced the system. Last year, the district received the Gender Equality Policy Award from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for its contribution to addressing the career discontinuity of women.

Kim, a working mother raising a 9-year-old elementary school student and a 5-year-old child in Sinwol-dong, said, "There are two or three times a month when my husband and I both have night shifts, and we often struggled to find someone to look after our children. Now that my eldest, who is in elementary school, can also be cared for, I feel much more at ease."

Mayor Lee Ki-jae stated, "Yangcheon District, as a special education zone, considers childcare the starting point of education and is prioritizing closing gaps in care as a core task. We will continue to build a safe and seamless 24-hour childcare environment where parents can feel secure and children are protected."

'Yangcheon-Style Overnight Emergency Childcare Center' nursery room view. Provided by Yangcheon District.

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