Expanded Budget Support Next Year for Child Abuse Protection Officers and Related Services

Choi Sang-dae, Director of Budget Office at Ministry of Economy and Finance, On-site Meeting on the 4th

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government announced on the 4th that it plans to expand next year's budget related to child abuse, including dedicated child protection personnel.

Choi Sang-dae, Director of the Budget Office at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, presided over the "Field Meeting to Establish Investment Directions for Responding to Child Abuse" at the Boram-dong Complex Community Center in Sejong City on the morning of the same day and made the announcement.

Next year, the resources related to child abuse will be transferred to the general account of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Taking this opportunity, the investment will be expanded, Choi said.

Specifically, plans include ▲ expanding dedicated child protection personnel from 524 (this year) to over 700 (next year) ▲ increasing child protection specialized institutions from 81 to 95 ▲ expanding shelters for abused children from 105 to 140.

Choi said, "There are concerns that 'hidden child abuse,' which is not exposed to daycare centers, schools, or academies, will increase due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic," adding, "We will strive to reflect opinions for discovering and supplementing blind spots related to child abuse response in the budget."