Seoul City Holds Communication Meeting with Autonomous District Childcare Support Centers for Creating a Special Childcare City

Sharing the 'Seoul City Childcare Mid- to Long-Term Master Plan' with Autonomous District Childcare Support Centers

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 8th that it held a communication meeting with the Seoul Autonomous District Childcare Comprehensive Support Center Council at the Gangbuk-gu Childcare Comprehensive Support Center to actively listen to and gather opinions from center staff.

Kang Hee-eun, Seoul City's Childcare Officer, shared the "Seoul Childcare Mid- to Long-term Master Plan" announced last December during the communication meeting held the previous day, enabling the autonomous district childcare comprehensive support centers to understand Seoul City's childcare policy directions and effectively convey them to frontline childcare sites.

In particular, Seoul City explained the necessity of cooperative projects such as joint forums between the city and autonomous district childcare comprehensive support centers during the tentative Childcare Week scheduled for October. The proclamation and operation of Childcare Week is a project included in the "Seoul Childcare Mid- to Long-term Master Plan" announced last December, aimed at enhancing the pride of childcare professionals and raising public awareness of the importance of childcare, as well as spreading a childcare culture.

Seoul City established childcare comprehensive support centers in all 25 autonomous districts nationwide for the first time in 2012 and remains the only metropolitan local government nationwide to support the operational expenses of autonomous district childcare comprehensive support centers. Major projects supported by Seoul City for autonomous district childcare comprehensive support centers include the "Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers," "play and infant-centered customized consulting," and "childcare staff rights protection and promotion counseling" in the daycare support field, as well as home childcare support fields such as providing childcare information, toy and book rentals, and part-time childcare.

The Childcare Comprehensive Support Centers support daycare centers within the local community and provide various childcare and parenting support services for caregivers' home childcare. Daycare support projects include daycare childcare consulting, substitute teacher support and management, counseling and education for childcare staff, and provision and support of information for vulnerable childcare such as care for children with disabilities.

Kang Hee-eun, Childcare Officer, said, "Starting with this communication meeting, I hope active exchanges and cooperation between Seoul City and autonomous district childcare comprehensive support centers will continue," adding, "As a tangible result of practical exchange and cooperation between Seoul City and autonomous district childcare comprehensive support centers, I expect the quality of daycare childcare services and home childcare services to improve, and for 'Seoul, a Special City for Childcare, Good for Raising Children' to be established soon."