Busan Gijang-gun Considering 'Free School Meals' for Newborns... Support Needed for Infants Cared for at Home in Low Birthrate Era

Okyu-seok County Governor: "Time to Consider Childcare Policies Supporting Home-Cared Infants and Toddlers Including Daycare Centers and Kindergartens"

Busan Gijang County Office.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] An innovative childcare policy providing free meals to infants and toddlers raised at home is being considered in Gijang-gun, Busan.

This is a groundbreaking policy that goes beyond the still cautiously expanding meal support for daycare centers and kindergartens.

On the 14th, Gijang-gun announced that it is reviewing a plan to provide healthy meals to infants and toddlers raised at home, the first among domestic local governments.

Earlier, on the 5th, Gijang-gun revealed a plan to promote free meal support for daycare centers and kindergartens.

Furthermore, it is known that they are pushing to support meal and snack expenses for infants and toddlers raised at home under the same standards and criteria.

Currently, for daycare centers, the government-supported childcare fees include 1,900 KRW for infants and 2,500 KRW for toddlers as meal and snack ingredient costs, enabling free meals.

Gijang-gun pointed out that kindergartens face a shortage of budgets available for educational expenses if meal costs are covered by tuition fees, which inevitably lowers the quality of both meals and education.

In the case of kindergartens, 12 metropolitan cities and provinces excluding Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam already share or independently support meal expenses beyond tuition fees through education offices and local governments.

It has been confirmed that Gijang-gun is reviewing ways to provide practically high-quality nutritious meals not only to daycare centers and kindergartens but also to infants and toddlers raised at home.

Oh Gyu-seok, the mayor of Gijang-gun, said, “Since nutrition intake during growth stages is precious, it has become an era where it is the responsibility of local governments to help future dream trees consume balanced nutrition.”

Mayor Oh added, “In the era of population cliff, the state and local governments must create the best childcare environment. Although some repercussions are expected due to timing and budget issues, Gijang-gun intends to take the lead in fulfilling its historical mission and role.”

Gijang-gun plans to hold meetings with daycare and kindergarten officials, as well as parents raising children at home, to decide on practical implementation methods.