Gwangju Nam-gu to Expand 10 Public and National Childcare Centers This Year

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (District Mayor Kim Byeong-nae) announced on the 26th that it plans to expand 10 public childcare facilities this year in accordance with the Infant Care Act to provide high-quality childcare services to residents raising infants and toddlers or planning to give birth, and to create a childcare environment where children can be entrusted with peace of mind.

To this end, Nam-gu plans to expand public daycare centers by long-term leasing private and home daycare centers that can be converted to national and public facilities under the Infant Care Act, or by renting some facilities in apartment complexes built within the district free of charge.

In particular, public daycare centers will be evenly distributed focusing on areas where low-income populations are concentrated and where the population has increased due to large-scale housing development projects but childcare facilities are insufficient, to alleviate the concentration of public childcare facilities in one area.

Accordingly, Nam-gu plans to expand two private daycare centers into public daycare centers through long-term leases. The private daycare centers to be converted into public daycare centers are Hwindol Daycare Center located in Wolsan-dong and Balgeun Daycare Center in Jinwol-dong.

Public daycare centers are also scheduled to open in eight apartment complexes within the district.

These include LH Songhwa Village Complex 3 and 8 in Nodae-dong, Hyochon 1 District Jungheung S-Class Eco Park and Eco City, City Pradium, Yangnim Humansia Complex 2, and Baegun Humansia Complex 3.

In addition, next year, a total of 12 public daycare centers are expected to be expanded within Nam-gu using the same method.

Kim Byeong-nae, Mayor of Nam-gu, said, “Public daycare centers have the advantage of providing customized services such as reduced childcare costs for parents, employment stability for childcare teachers, and extended night hours, as well as transparency in operation through regular audits,” adding, “We will provide high-quality childcare services so that there is no worry in raising infants and toddlers.”