Gangdong-gu Conducts Survey on At-Risk Children in Preparation for Chuseok Holiday

Proactive Child Protection Through Special Inspections Before Chuseok Holiday... Home Visits to Check Children and Family Environment, Prioritizing Service Connections

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) has been conducting special home visits and inspections since the 23rd to early detect children at risk and establish a protection system in preparation for the Chuseok holiday.

In light of the recent tragic accident involving elementary school siblings in Incheon, it is a crucial time to conduct pre-inspections to minimize gaps in child care.

Especially during the holiday period, children are more likely to fall into welfare blind spots, so Gangdong-gu has determined the need for a proactive response in child protection measures and has prepared a special home visit inspection plan for the Chuseok holiday.

Prior to this, from July to September, the district has been focusing on inspecting high-risk children identified through the e-Child Happiness Support System, such as those who missed infant health checkups, did not receive regular vaccinations, have no medical institution treatment records, or have long-term absences from kindergarten or daycare centers.

During the focused inspection of high-risk children, the district discovered families in crisis facing difficult circumstances and arranged support measures. At the time of discovery, the child was unregistered in the resident registration system, resulting in the suspension of childcare allowance support. The district took immediate action to reinstate the childcare allowance and plans to continue providing childcare facility use and parenting counseling in the future.

Additionally, the district conducts special visits to the homes of children targeted by the Dream Start project. They re-examine the childcare environment and provide Chuseok holiday consolation goods, living expenses, and medical expenses worth approximately 14.84 million KRW to prevent any gaps in childcare.

Gangdong-gu plans to intensively manage families in crisis by type, not only those high-risk children identified through the system but also households participating in self-support projects with children under 18, families at risk of repeated child abuse, and all children under the age of three. By closely monitoring their living conditions and prioritizing necessary services, the district aims to prevent child abuse incidents in advance.

Furthermore, the district is conducting community-based promotional activities to eradicate child abuse. They have produced 1,000 child abuse prevention campaign materials to distribute to Zero Pay affiliated stores participating in the campaign and are serializing the “Child Rights Respect Campaign,” part of the “Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Improvement Project,” in the monthly district newsletter.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, “Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, there are gaps in child care, and children from vulnerable families face even more difficult situations. We will ensure the safety of children as the top priority through more detailed monitoring and prompt action for vulnerable children and actively respond to prevent child abuse.”

Meanwhile, the district established a Child Protection Team in July, and starting October 1, with the implementation of the public child protection system, it will begin full-scale operations including investigation, judgment, and measures related to child abuse. The district plans to build a cooperative system with related organizations such as the police station and education support office to develop intensive monitoring and support measures for affected children.