[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, set this year's welfare policy direction as "Realizing inclusive welfare that takes responsibility for the lives of residents" and held a policy briefing session.
The county plans to expand customized welfare services this year to increase the happiness index of its residents.
It will support welfare services suitable for various groups such as the elderly, children, women, and multicultural families, and aims to eliminate welfare blind spots for socially vulnerable groups to realize inclusive welfare where everyone coexists.
To provide comfortable resting spaces for seniors, the construction and renovation of senior centers are being promoted. Along with developing various customized jobs for the elderly, opportunities for social participation will also be expanded.
Additionally, basic pension payments, bathing fee support for seniors, and the operation of the Senior Center Happiness Helper project will be carried out. Elderly care services will be provided, and comprehensive social safety nets will be established to promote welfare projects that enable a comfortable old age.
The county will also take the lead in creating a childcare environment and encouraging childbirth. Customized childcare services will be provided through infant allowances, early childhood care fees, home care allowances, and child allowances, and a safe childcare environment will be created by promoting green remodeling of aging childcare facilities.
Comprehensive after-school care services will be supported through the Dream Start project, community child centers' Together Care Centers, youth after-school academies, and youth protection and fostering projects, providing healthy leisure activity opportunities for young people.
To help multicultural families quickly understand and adapt to cultural differences, home education, Korean language study rooms, and specialized social adaptation programs will also be operated and supported.
Support for school education will include after-school programs, purchase costs for uniforms for middle and high school freshmen, free high school education, and school meal support to strengthen public services and reduce the economic burden on parents.
Scholarships will be provided to improve academic achievement, and through the Cheongsong Talent Development Center, which offers quality educational opportunities and entrance exam information, educational motivation will be encouraged. Lifelong learning programs such as the Happy Cheongsong Academy, Happy Cheongsong Residents University, and adult literacy education support will also be actively promoted.
This year, the 5th Community Social Security Plan will be directly established by the Cheongsong-gun Community Social Security Council using local human and material resources. To this end, a welfare needs survey of 600 households was completed last year using welfare experts. Based on the results, the community social security plan will be established effectively and substantively.
To determine social security beneficiary households, appropriate benefits will be decided through data verification, legal review, and on-site investigations using the social security system linked with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Tax Service, and financial institutions.
Support and respect for national veterans and their families will also be strengthened. The payment amounts for the veterans' honor allowance and veterans' respect allowance have been increased. To provide social participation and income opportunities for persons with disabilities, the number of participants in disability employment will be increased. Customized welfare services for persons with disabilities, including disability pensions, allowances, and medical expense support, will be expanded.
Yoon Kyung-hee, Cheongsong County Governor, said, "We will support welfare that encourages hope and courage for residents in difficulty and strive to stabilize the lives of all residents."
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