Seoul Jung-gu Achieves 100% Free Childcare for Infants and Toddlers... Zero Burden on Parents

Support for All Necessary Expenses That Parents Must Cover at Daycare Centers Starting This March

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seoyangho) will fully support the parental fees incurred at daycare centers, realizing free childcare for infants and toddlers.

Since 2019, the district has gradually expanded support for field trip expenses and special activity fees at daycare centers every year. From March this year, in addition to field trip and special activity fees, 100% of other necessary expenses previously borne separately by parents?such as specialization fees, vehicle operation fees, evening meal fees, and graduation album fees?will be supported.

The support targets include public, corporate, private, and home daycare centers within the district.

As a result, the childcare costs for children attending daycare centers in Jung-gu will effectively become '0' won, achieving true free childcare, and all daycare centers will be able to provide high-quality childcare services to attending children.

Furthermore, to fill the childcare gap caused by the long-term closure of daycare centers due to COVID-19 and to strengthen communication between daycare centers and families, home-linked programs such as providing play kits will be supported for all daycare centers in the district until the first half of this year.

Since 2019, Jung-gu has been promoting the direct management of public daycare centers for the first time in Seoul, and to date, 12 daycare centers have completed the transition to direct management. The district is gradually expanding this target to ensure the highest level of childcare services.

In district-managed daycare centers, two additional assistant teachers are assigned to lower the teacher-to-child ratio, and separate support is provided for auxiliary staff such as cleaning and accounting, allowing teachers to focus solely on childcare.

Additionally, the Jung-gu Facilities Management Corporation has developed playgrounds and capacity, and renovated daycare center facilities by changing floors and walls to eco-friendly and safety-enhanced materials.

Since 2020, the daily snack and meal cost has been significantly increased to around 4,000 won to provide the highest level of eco-friendly meals in Seoul.

This amount greatly exceeds the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s standard of 1,900 won and the Seoul city average of 2,500 won. Jung-gu has separately composed and provided its own eco-friendly menu, completely replaced outdated cooking equipment, and introduced allowances to improve cooks’ treatment, upgrading the overall daycare meal system.

Seoyangho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "Since 2013, we have supported childcare fees for all children aged 0 to 5, but the burden of childcare and education costs on families raising infants and toddlers remains high. Jung-gu will fully support the parental fees paid separately to daycare centers and do its best to improve the quality and public nature of childcare services by expanding district-managed daycare centers."