Gwangjin-gu Expands Childcare Service Support Until Year-End to Ease Parenting Burden

Government Support Ratio Expanded to 40-90%... Annual Support Time Limit Also Not Applied

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seongap) is expanding and operating the support for the childcare service until the end of the year to alleviate the increased childcare burden caused by COVID-19.

The childcare service is a program where a childcare worker visits the home directly to provide care services for children under 12 years old who experience a childcare gap due to single-parent families or dual-income parents.

Recently, as COVID-19 has prolonged with continued closures of daycare centers and schools, the government has prepared special guidelines allowing local governments to expand childcare service subsidies and support hours within their budget limits.

Accordingly, the district is actively applying this special measure to reduce the burden on childcare families, expanding the government support rate from 0~85% based on household income to 40~90% until December 31.

The current hourly fee for the childcare service is 9,890 KRW, but with this special measure applied, families will only need to pay 10~60% of the fee to use the childcare service.

Also, the previous annual limit of 720 hours eligible for government support will no longer apply if the childcare service is used on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Applications for the childcare service can be made at the nearest community service center.

For more details, contact the Gwangjin-gu Family Welfare Division or the Gwangjin-gu Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center.

Mayor Kim Seongap said, “The burden of raising children combined with COVID-19 is expected to make parents even more anxious. I hope this special measure will ease some of the burden, and we will do our best to create an environment where parents can raise their children safely.”