Gangdong-gu 'Uri-ai Jikimi' Continuous Identification and Support for At-Risk Children

Building a System for Identifying, Diagnosing, and Connecting Services for Children in Blind Spots to Prevent Abuse... Continuous Identification through Organic Collaboration with Local Governments, Education Support Offices, Police Stations, and Private Organizations

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) is accelerating efforts toward a child-friendly city with no blind spots through the ‘Our Child Guardian’ constant discovery and support project for children in crisis.

Implemented since 2017, the ‘Our Child Guardian Support Project’ is a policy initiated to discover children in welfare blind spots and resolve crisis situations by utilizing public and private resources in the community.

Over the past year, the district conducted case management centered on the Dong (neighborhood) Community Security Council by utilizing resources at the neighborhood level such as fire stations and police stations for 116 referred children needing economic, psychological, and social assistance.

▲ Psychological counseling support 78 cases ▲ Economic support 260 cases ▲ Other services including child meals and hygiene product provision totaling 1,604 cases were linked, establishing a dense safety system enabling the community itself to protect children.

Schools, childcare facilities, residents, and fire stations refer children under 18 years old who require economic, psychological, or social help due to maladjustment, neglect, physical or emotional abuse, nutritional deficiency, etc., to the local Dong Community Service Center, where the subjects are identified.

For referred households, after assessing the child and related guardians and family conditions, home visits and investigations are conducted if necessary in cooperation with the Dong Community Security Council, police, and fire stations. Through case meetings of the Dong Community Security Council, integrated problem-solving service plans are established, and customized support is provided through sponsorships, connections with various public-private institutions, and 143 types of 20 public welfare benefit services.

Additionally, to utilize various public and private local resources, the district collaborates with Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, Gangdong Songpa Office of Education, Gangdong Police Station, Gangdong Fire Station, and Gangdong Education Welfare Center to provide services such as medical expense support, scholarships, and mom-to-mom educational care services.

The Our Child Guardian project aims for all resources including schools, social welfare facilities, community leaders, and public institutions to act as guardians caring for children in crisis, preventing child abuse incidents in advance, resolving psychological, social, and economic issues, and contributing to holistic child development.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, “The interest of all residents is necessary to discover children in crisis,” and added, “We will do our best to actively intervene with local resources for discovered children in crisis and create a happier Gangdong-gu where no child is left behind.”