Gwangju City Strengthens Support Policies for Women, Families, and Children

Installation of CCTV in Daycare Centers and Expansion of Childbirth Celebration Grants

Promotion of Long-Standing Projects Including Establishment of Women and Family Complex Centers

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, announced the ‘23 Nuri Policies in 5 Major Areas for Women, Families, and Children’ as a follow-up measure to the ‘Special Week for Women and Childcare to Overcome COVID-19.’

According to Gwangju City on the 23rd, this Nuri Policy focuses on resolving difficulties in the field of women and childcare, encompassing five core values: ▲ happiness of the family community ▲ creation of a stable childcare environment ▲ equal social participation of women ▲ safety and independence guaranteed by human rights ▲ healthy growth of children.

Mayor Lee explained the policy direction, saying, “We have actively accepted long-standing projects within the limits of the budget and focused on creating a safe childcare environment where children can be entrusted with peace of mind.”

◇ Creating a Childcare Environment Where Children Can Be Entrusted with Confidence

First, Gwangju City will strengthen safety measures for daycare centers and expand support projects to create a ‘childcare environment where children can be entrusted with confidence.’

According to the ‘Infant and Toddler Care Act,’ CCTV is mandatorily installed in 1,012 daycare centers in the jurisdiction. The city will check whether the CCTV is properly installed in appropriate locations and functioning correctly. For daycare centers that have completed CCTV installation and are properly managed and operated, a monthly safety childcare fee of 50,000 KRW per class (class operation expenses) will be provided.

From this year, to ensure the effectiveness of legally mandated safety education for childcare staff, 20,000 KRW per person will be supported for education expenses.

The items covered by the daycare center safety mutual aid association will be expanded from the existing 8 to 14, including fire equipment and wind and flood damage.

The quality of meals provided by daycare centers will also be improved. Gwangju plans to gradually raise daycare meal fees to the kindergarten level (kindergarten daily meal fee per person: 2,700 KRW; daycare center: 2,415 KRW). In addition, labor costs will be supported when substitute cooks are needed.

Home and private daycare centers that meet the conditions to provide high-quality childcare services will receive support funds ranging from 1 million to 4 million KRW per daycare center once each when newly selected or reselected as ‘public-type daycare centers.’

Regarding personnel support for local children’s centers, which play a role in filling the care gap caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, labor costs will be supported in the second half of the year to reduce the workload of workers. Additional requests from local children’s centers will be reviewed further to decide on support.

◇ Expanding Support to Realize ‘Gwangju, a Good Place to Have and Raise Children’

Gwangju City will expand support for mothers and newborns to realize ‘Gwangju, a good place to have and raise children.’

Currently, a birth congratulatory gift of 1 million KRW is uniformly paid regardless of the number of births, but after consultation with the Gwangju City Council, from next year, differentiated birth congratulatory gifts will be paid: 1.5 million KRW for the second child and 2 million KRW for the third child or more.

From next month, the Gwangju-type postpartum care public service will be fully implemented. Services such as newborn sleep management and maternal breast care will be provided up to five times (a total of 20 hours) within 120 days after childbirth.

A ‘housekeeping helper service for the last three months of pregnancy (prenatal 3 months)’ for expectant mothers is also being prepared.

In addition, newlywed couples residing in the jurisdiction (non-homeowners within 7 years from the marriage registration date) will receive support for housing and urban fund jeonse loan interest up to 1% for two years starting in July.

◇ Promoting Long-standing Projects Such as the Construction of the Women and Family Complex Center

Gwangju City will actively promote long-standing projects in the local community, including the construction of the Women and Family Complex Center.

Gwangju City will undertake the construction of the ‘Women and Family Complex Center (tentative name),’ a long-standing project of the women’s community. The center will serve comprehensive functions such as women’s exchange, family friendliness, and care.

The construction of an AI-based ‘Children’s Imagination Playground (tentative name)’ will also be promoted. This space will be filled with a performance hall, creative and eco playground, AI future job experience center, and nature experience area to nurture children’s dreams.

◇ Protecting Women’s and Children’s Human Rights… Accelerating the Creation of a Safe Environment

Gwangju City has increased the meal cost per meal from 5,000 KRW to 6,000 KRW per person from June for school-age and preschool children under 18 years old who are at risk of food insecurity.

Also, the self-reliance settlement fund for protection-terminated children who leave child welfare facilities and foster families to take their first step into society has been expanded from 5 million KRW to 10 million KRW to support sound independence and safe social settlement.

The self-reliance settlement fund for single-parent families who have stayed in welfare facilities for a certain period and then left has also been expanded from 5 million KRW to 7 million KRW since June.

The child abuse victim shelters, currently operated only in Seo-gu (2 locations), will be expanded to five autonomous districts, and additional temporary protection facilities will be built to strengthen efforts to protect children in crisis from social risk factors.

While easing the eligibility requirements for self-reliance support funds for those leaving prostitution victim protection facilities, support will also be provided for promotional and sales events of self-sufficiency products made by women victims of violence.

Improvement of treatment for workers at women’s rights facilities and COVID-19 quarantine support will also be actively pursued.

In addition, demands such as ▲ expanding customized employment-linked education and services for women whose careers have been interrupted due to marriage, childbirth, and childcare ▲ fostering female activists and establishing specialized education courses to promote women’s social participation ▲ expanding support for the March 8 International Women’s Day commemorative events will also be actively accepted.

Mayor Lee said, “By taking the lead in resolving the inequalities and safety concerns still existing in our society regarding women and children, Democratic and Human Rights City Gwangju will realize ▲ a Gwangju where women are respected and can demonstrate their abilities ▲ a Gwangju good for having and raising children ▲ a Gwangju where children can grow up safely and healthily. In particular, we will do our best for the safety and happiness of the family community, which is the foundation of our society.”