Gyeonggi-do Expands Childcare Through 'Village Community'... 200,000 KRW Paid Per Person

‘Childcare Opportunity Income,’ a policy combining Gyeonggi-do’s representative policy of opportunity income and the welfare policy 360° Care, has secured a legal foundation and is set to be implemented as early as July. Childcare Opportunity Income is a policy that provides 200,000 KRW per month per participant engaged in childcare.

Gyeonggi-do announced on the 29th that the Gyeonggi Provincial Council passed the ordinance to establish the ‘Gyeonggi-do Childcare Opportunity Income Payment Ordinance’ at the 2nd plenary session of the 374th extraordinary meeting held on the 26th.

Childcare Opportunity Income stipulates that when village communities voluntarily formed by residents engage in non-profit childcare activities such as communal child-rearing and care, cash payments of 200,000 KRW per month per participant will be provided to Gyeonggi-do residents participating in childcare. However, participants must engage in childcare activities for at least 30 hours per month.

Gyeonggi Province plans to launch the "Childcare Opportunity Income," which combines opportunity income and welfare policy called 360° Care, as early as July. This project is a policy that provides 200,000 KRW per month per participant in childcare.

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Childcare Opportunity Income has the nature of opportunity income, which compensates for income over a certain period to provide more opportunities to those who create social value but do not receive fair compensation, and the welfare policy 360° Care promoted by Gyeonggi-do to address blind spots in childcare.

The recipients of opportunity income are Gyeonggi-do residents belonging to communities such as resident groups aimed at non-profit childcare.

With the enactment of the related ordinance, Gyeonggi-do will recruit participants after consulting with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the establishment of the social security system and will begin payments as early as July. Gyeonggi-do will announce detailed information such as application procedures, participation requirements, and methods for verifying childcare performance on the Gyeonggi Provincial Government website (www.gg.go.kr) in June. Additionally, a budget of 614 million KRW has been fully allocated from the provincial funds to promote this project.

Gyeonggi-do’s promotion of Childcare Opportunity Income is based on the judgment that although there are various childcare policies such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Together Care Centers, the Ministry of Education’s Neulbom Schools, and local governments’ own childcare projects, there are limitations in completely eliminating blind spots due to resource constraints and insufficient systems.

By providing opportunity income, Gyeonggi-do expects to activate voluntary childcare participation by the private sector through village (regional) community-centered initiatives, thereby responding to childcare gaps and complementing the limitations of public-led childcare.

Hong Seong-ho, head of the Community Support Division of Gyeonggi-do, stated, "Until now, there has been no fair compensation for childcare activities centered on local communities. We anticipate that the payment of Childcare Opportunity Income will recognize the social value of community-centered childcare activities and spread a culture of care shared by the local community."

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi-do is also promoting additional projects targeting athletes, farmers and fishermen, and climate action, aiming to start payments in the second half of this year, including Childcare Opportunity Income. The ordinance related to Athlete Opportunity Income was passed in March, and ordinances related to Climate Action and Farmers and Fishermen Opportunity Income will be submitted to the Gyeonggi Provincial Council around June. Gyeonggi-do is currently consulting with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the social security system to advance each project.

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