Cheong "Strengthening Protection for Childcare Teachers" in Response to Petition on "False Accusations of Child Abuse" Death

Over 250,000 Citizens Join Childcare Teacher Family Petition... "Preventive Measures to Avoid Recurrence of Incident"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] The Blue House has expressed its intention to strengthen protective measures related to childcare teachers who passed away due to false accusations of child abuse.

On the 2nd, the Blue House responded through Yang Sung-il, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, to the national petition titled 'Report on the Death of a Childcare Teacher Falsely Accused of Child Abuse.'' This petition was supported by approximately 354,600 citizens.

Vice Minister Yang stated, "The petitioner requested that such unjust incidents never happen again, saying that despite the childcare teacher's sister being cleared of child abuse charges, she took an extreme step due to continuous complaints from parents." He added, "The government will implement the following preventive measures to protect the rights and improve the treatment of childcare teachers working in daycare centers to prevent recurrence of such incidents."

The view of Cheongwadae from Namsan, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

First, related procedures will be supplemented to ensure strict fact-finding and verification when cases of harm to childcare teachers occur.

Vice Minister Yang said, "If the childcare teacher's victimization is confirmed through a joint strict fact investigation by child protection agencies, local governments, and investigative authorities, protective measures for the childcare teacher will be taken by convening the Childcare Policy Deliberation Committee, etc." He added, "Legal and administrative measures, including establishing a reporting procedure led by administrative agencies, will be introduced."

Furthermore, social awareness regarding the protection of childcare teachers' rights will be raised, and the foundation for rights protection will be strengthened.

Vice Minister Yang stated, "We will actively consult with the National Assembly to revise related laws to assign and codify the responsibility of the state and local governments to protect the rights of childcare staff." He also said, "Support such as expert psychological counseling, legal consultation, and paid leave for affected childcare teachers will be strengthened."

Vice Minister Yang added, "The government promises to make efforts to prevent cases of rights violations such as verbal abuse and physical assault against childcare teachers," and expressed gratitude to the 300,000 childcare staff who tirelessly work for the future of children.