Gyeonggi-do Rolls Up Sleeves to Support 'Out-of-Home Youth and Families Under Probation'

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is recruiting subscribers for the 'Youth Self-Reliance Double Savings Account' until the 15th of this month to help 'out-of-home youth' living in youth welfare facilities achieve economic independence after leaving the facility.

In addition, starting next month, the province plans to implement psychological counseling and treatment support projects to help probationers' families and others settle stably in society, and will publicly recruit auxiliary project operators to carry out related projects by the 3rd of this month.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 1st, the province has decided to launch the Youth Self-Reliance Double Savings Account project for the first time this year and is recruiting 100 participants by the 15th of this month.

This project helps out-of-home youth save a total of 300,000 KRW monthly by supporting 200,000 KRW from Gyeonggi Province when the youth save 100,000 KRW. The savings period can be extended up to twice for two years each, allowing a lump sum of 21.6 million KRW (7.2 million KRW saved by the youth and 14.4 million KRW in support funds) to be accumulated over six years.

Applicants must be residents of the province aged between 15 and 24 who have lived in a youth shelter for more than one year or have left after residing there, or youth who have lived for more than six months and have been receiving support for more than six months at a Youth Self-Reliance Support Center. However, those who are participating in or have received support from similar asset-building support projects run by the central government or local governments are excluded from eligibility.

Those interested should prepare the necessary documents and apply at the youth shelter where they currently reside by the 15th of this month. Youth who have left the shelter should apply at the last youth shelter they resided in or the self-reliance support center where they are currently receiving support.

The province will conduct document screening and announce the final list of participating youth on the 22nd of next month.

Selected youth must visit the Gyeonggi Southern Self-Reliance Support Center (Gunpo City) or Gyeonggi Northern Self-Reliance Support Center (Uijeongbu City) between the 23rd and 26th of next month to sign an agreement. The savings can be used for purposes such as tuition, technical qualifications and employment training, start-ups, housing, medical treatment, and marriage to help youth establish stable independence in society.

Choi Hong-gyu, head of the Youth Division of the province, emphasized, "Economic independence is crucial for youth to establish themselves stably without parental support. We will strive to help as many youth as possible."

Out-of-home youth are those who have left their homes due to family conflicts, abuse, neglect, etc., and live in youth welfare facilities. They are required to leave the facility upon reaching the age of 24.

Starting next month, the province will also implement psychological counseling and treatment support projects to help probationers' families and others settle stably in society, and will publicly recruit auxiliary project operators to carry out related projects by the 3rd of this month.

This project is based on the 'Gyeonggi Province Ordinance on Social Settlement Support for Probationers, etc.' enacted in May last year. The ordinance requires operating family counseling programs including individual counseling through preliminary and psychological tests for 50 at-risk families including probationers, couples counseling to improve marital relationships, language counseling, art therapy, and play therapy to restore family and individual functions.

The specific support targets are probationers, community service and attendance order subjects, rehabilitation protection subjects, and their family members who are registered residents of the province and belong to low-income groups such as basic livelihood security recipients or near-poverty class.

However, if the executing agency's internal review committee judges that support is urgent and appropriate, selection can be made even if the support criteria are not fully met.

The project budget is 413 million KRW. The province plans to select auxiliary project operators by comprehensively evaluating the feasibility of the project plan, project execution capability, and expertise to ensure successful implementation.

A provincial official said, "Psychological support is urgently needed as not only probationers but also children of released prisoners may be exposed to family breakdown and secondary crimes due to social prejudice. We will strive to develop various policies to help probationers and others settle smoothly in the local community, in addition to psychological counseling support."