Gwangju City to Strengthen Public Child Protection System This Year

원본보기 아이콘

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju Metropolitan City will further strengthen the public child protection system this year.

According to Gwangju City on the 11th, the number of suspected child abuse reports last year was 1,010, of which 743 cases (73.6%) were confirmed as child abuse.

The types of abuse were overlapping in 326 cases (44%), emotional abuse in 227 cases (31%), physical abuse in 115 cases (15%), and neglect in 43 cases (6%).

This represents a 17% increase from the 858 reports in the previous year. It is interpreted as a result of the COVID-19 impact, where reports from mandatory reporters decreased in 2020 due to school and kindergarten closures, but increased last year as attendance rose, leading to more reports from mandatory reporters and citizens.

Actions taken against abusers included monitoring in 53.4% of cases and complaints or prosecutions in 45%.

Accordingly, Gwangju City plans to enhance the public protection of children in need by expanding protective facilities and family-type care for immediate separation, increasing child abuse response personnel, utilizing big data systems for early detection, and improving public awareness through child abuse prevention education.

So far, one temporary infant shelter and two shelters for abused children have been operated, but this month, one temporary shelter and one shelter each in Nam-gu and Buk-gu will be expanded.

The temporary shelter opening this month in Dong-gu was designed to resolve the inconvenience of previously only caring for infants and to allow both boys and girls siblings to be protected in the same facility, accommodating 27 abused children of both genders simultaneously. It is equipped with dormitories, dining rooms, play areas, psychological treatment rooms, and a library.

This facility, with one basement floor and three above-ground floors, is large in scale but was able to reduce costs and open quickly by utilizing a discontinued daycare center and receiving 400 million KRW from the national and city government function reinforcement project.

Additionally, each autonomous district will establish shelters providing protection, treatment, and childcare services for abused children. Besides the existing Dong-gu and Seo-gu, shelters accommodating seven children each will be established in Nam-gu (for girls) and Buk-gu (for boys), and will begin full operation from mid-January.

Gwangsan-gu will support 420 million KRW from national and city funds this year and plans to open after July following installation in the first half of the year.

Along with this, the child-rearing allowance for about 320 children (250 households) in foster care, who are protected in family-like conditions, will be increased from 200,000 KRW to 310,000 KRW starting this year, and 12 additional specialized foster homes for at-risk children such as those under two years old or with borderline intelligence have been secured.

Child abuse dedicated public officials who receive reports 24 hours a day and conduct on-site investigations, as well as child protection officers who check the care plans for protected children, will also be expanded.

Until last year, there were a total of 20 child abuse dedicated public officials in autonomous districts, slightly exceeding the Ministry of Health and Welfare's recommended standard of one official per 50 reports, given the 1,010 reports. One more official will be added this year, and considering the early stage of implementation, support from child protection agencies will be available until September next year.

The number of child protection officers, currently 25, will also be increased by three.

The child protection agencies, private organizations that have conducted abuse investigations, will focus on preventing re-abuse through family therapy, counseling, and case management, while also promoting non-violent parenting methods and conducting public awareness campaigns in cooperation with the city.

For early detection of child abuse, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's big data system (e-Child Happiness Support) predicts families needing child protection based on long-term absences and missed vaccinations. Autonomous district staff visit and investigate these families, and identified at-risk children are supported through Dream Start projects or care services.

Finally, Gwangju City operates a metropolitan child protection task force quarterly with the Police Agency, Education Office, and specialized institutions to share progress and review response systems.

Gwak Hyunmi, Director of the Women's and Family Bureau of the city, said, "Thanks to active citizen reports, such as the case last year where a parent was punished for abusing a child on the street, greater misfortune was prevented. We ask for continued citizen interest in neighborhood children this year, and the city will do its utmost to ensure that children in need of protection can grow up safely."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.