Gyeonggi-do to Expand 15 Joint Workplace Daycare Centers by 2026 with 3 Billion KRW Support

by Lee YeongKyu

Published 20 Apr.2023 07:07(KST)

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Gwanggyo New Office Building

Gyeonggi Province has decided to expand 15 "joint workplace daycare centers" by 2026 and will provide 3 billion KRW in support.

Joint workplace daycare centers are daycare facilities established and operated through cooperation between two or more priority support companies (with fewer than 500 regular employees).

Unlike large companies with 500 or more regular employees or 300 or more female employees, as well as administrative and public institutions that are required by the Infant Care Act to establish workplace daycare centers, this method is preferred by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that find it difficult to establish and operate daycare centers on their own.

When priority support companies cooperate or when large companies, administrative and public institutions, universities, etc., collaborate with SMEs to establish and operate joint workplace daycare centers, they can receive installation cost support through a public contest project by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (Workplace Childcare Support Center) under the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The province will provide a total of 3 billion KRW, ranging from 30 million KRW to 200 million KRW per workplace daycare center, separately from the support by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, targeting those selected in the public contest project for joint workplace daycare centers. The support scale includes 3 centers this year and a total of 15 centers by 2026. Currently, there are 54 joint workplace daycare centers in the province.

Yoon Young-mi, Director of the Childcare Policy Division of the province, emphasized, "We will actively promote the expansion of joint workplace daycare centers for SMEs in the province to encourage work-family balance for dual-income couples and women's participation in economic activities," adding, "We will actively identify childcare blind spots in Gyeonggi Province to alleviate the childcare burden on parents and create a happy Gyeonggi Province for children."