Nowon-gu Opens Nation's First After-School Care Center Equipped with 'Child Cafeteria'

A Place Where Children Praise Adults for Their Good Work, 'Sanggye Doosan Aihoo Center'... The Nation's First 'Meal Care Children's Cafeteria' Directly Operated with the Motto 'Play Excitedly, Eat Healthily'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) has opened the first after-school care center equipped with a children's cafeteria in the nation.

The I-Hu Center is a facility that takes care of elementary school children from dual-income families.

The newly opened Sanggye Doosan I-Hu Center is located on the 2nd floor of the management building of Doosan Apartments in Sanggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, with an area of approximately 350㎡.

Unlike other I-Hu Centers that utilize residential spaces in apartments or houses, this center uses the spacious area of the apartment management building to provide a cafeteria and play area where children can eat healthily and play freely.

The cafeteria is free for children using the center. There is one nutritionist and two cooks who plan and provide balanced meals. The menu includes buffet-style or single-item meals with popular Korean snack foods added. Organic ingredients are used, giving parents peace of mind. Meals are served in two sessions starting from 5:20 PM, accommodating a total of 70 children.

In the future, the 'children's cafeteria' will be available not only to children using the center but also to any children in the neighborhood. However, children who are not from single-parent or multi-child families will be charged only the cost of ingredients.

The play area is divided into a board game cafe, book cafe, traditional playroom, free playroom, and library. Children can freely move among the five rooms to engage in both physical and learning activities, emphasizing their autonomy. Teachers act only as helpers according to the children's needs, rather than leading the activities.

Going forward, the operation of the Nowon-style care I-Hu Centers will establish a web-like care system with integrated and hub types.

The integrated type I-Hu Centers will be established in six zones. Two locations have already been secured. Near Junggye Station, a facility with one basement and three above-ground floors will house an I-Hu Center, a co-parenting room, and a children's cafeteria.

Notably, this location will also include a 'Sick Child Hospital Escort Service' and a 'Sick Child Care Center' where children who have visited the hospital can receive care until their parents pick them up.

A larger-scale hub-type I-Hu Center is also being prepared to open in Sanggye-dong. It will cover about 500 pyeong (approximately 1,652㎡) and will feature more diverse play facilities than the integrated type centers.

Nowon-gu gathered opinions from public officials, experts, and parents to adapt the government's after-school care policy for elementary school children from dual-income families to the local context. In November 2018, the first Nowon-style care 'I-Hu Center' opened in Sanggye Jugong Complex 10, recognized as a representative model of community-tailored care among President Moon Jae-in's national agenda, and has since spread nationwide.

To ensure that all children needing after-school care can easily access it, a total of 40 I-Hu Centers will be established by 2022, providing after-school care services to 1,000 lower-grade elementary students.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "Raising children is no longer a problem that can be left solely to families. It is the responsibility of our government and local authorities to create an environment where children can be raised with peace of mind. We will continue to expand I-Hu Centers to make Nowon a place without blind spots in child care."