[Seoul District News] Yeongdeungpo-gu Supports Reading Communities, Creates Everyday Book-Reading Environment, Expands People-Centered Reading Culture with Wide Support for Contactless Book Loan/Return Services and Diverse Reading Programs... Seodaemun-gu and Save the Children Promote ‘Creating Child-Safe Institutions’... Dongdaemun-gu Operates ‘Our Neighborhood Care Team’ Where Residents Directly Care for At-Risk Elderly and Welfare Blind Spots Neighbors
'Taylor Rush' is giving a lecture at a book concert held at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall in November last year.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that it will promote various reading culture advancement projects to realize ‘Reading Yeongdeungpo,’ which spreads a reading culture that leads changes in people and society within the region and grows and communicates through books.
The goal is to expand facility infrastructure such as village libraries and smart libraries so that all residents can conveniently encounter books in their daily lives, and to support reading communities, cultural events, and programs that can foster interest and habits in reading, allowing residents to broadly enjoy the joy and life lessons that books provide.
The first task is to focus on discovering and revitalizing reading communities that read together with friends and neighbors.
Reading clubs with five or more adult members will be recruited and provided with a certain amount of activity funds to offer the joy of reading and sharing thoughts together. To build a foundation for reading in the local community, the district will promote ▲One Library One Book reading ▲SNS reading certification campaigns ▲operate specialized programs by library such as architecture, art, culture, and arts ▲post empathetic phrases on library exterior walls to enhance positive perceptions of libraries ▲hold a book festival in October ▲and plan to operate a book report contest and reading quiz competition.
The second task is to create an environment for reading anywhere in the community and workplace to enhance the humanities literacy of residents and employees.
The district operates a dedicated bookshelf filled with donated and supported books inside the district office, creating a space to relax while reading books, and provides ▲smart libraries with unmanned book lending and return services ▲and continues to operate non-face-to-face book reservation, lending, and return machines. Also, ▲efforts will be made to operate and manage the outdoor bookshelf ‘Ma-eum Sanchaek’ (Mind Walk), which can be used freely without separate book lending or return.
Lastly, the district will strengthen the role of libraries as spaces for communication and sharing by operating people-centered reading content and programs.
▲From June, the district will operate the ‘Library University Village Archive School’ to build a local archive and form a village record community ▲support life-cycle reading programs targeting each generation such as infants, children and adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, and the elderly. At three district-run libraries, ▲a visiting library and ‘Mom Book’ service for pregnant women and infant caregivers who have difficulty accessing libraries ▲customized book curation services ▲expand e-book and e-journal services ▲and continue operating the ‘Dream Dream’ service, which lends book packages to national/public and private daycare centers for a month until the end of the year.
Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, “As the saying goes, ‘People make books, and books make people,’ I hope residents gain wisdom to understand the world and guidelines for life from books and enjoy a rich life,” adding, “We will do our best to create a refined knowledge culture city where people enjoy books and culture in daily life, ‘Yeongdeungpo full of the scent of books.’”
Seodaemun-gu (District Mayor Moon Seok-jin) signed a business agreement on the 7th with Save the Children Central Region 1 Headquarters (Head Kim Sung-ah), Seodaemun-gu Our Neighborhood Care Center Council, and Seodaemun-gu Regional Child Center Federation to create ‘Safe Institutions for Children.’
Despite the expanding role of child care facilities such as daycare centers and child welfare facilities, according to major child abuse statistics announced in 2020, child abuse cases in substitute care facilities numbered 2,930, accounting for 10% of all cases.
The government has mandated CCTV installation as a countermeasure for child safety protection, enforced strict measures such as facility closures, and conducted punishment and character education for care institution workers, but child safety accidents in child care institutions continue.
Therefore, the need for management and supervision has increased, including designating child safety protection officers to prevent child abuse and risky situations and to detect signs of abuse early, and educating not only facility workers but all related persons who interact with children.
Seodaemun-gu established and proclaimed the ‘Child Protection Code of Conduct’ in 2020 as the first local government nationwide with a commitment to prioritize children’s rights.
Accordingly, Seodaemun-gu announced that it will promote the ‘Creating Safe Institutions for Children’ project with Save the Children Central Region 1 Headquarters to ensure that the Child Protection Code of Conduct is not just proclaimed but practically implemented.
Since 2019, Save the Children has established child safety protection systems in all institutions protecting children, such as daycare centers, regional child centers, and child welfare facilities, through the ‘Creating Safe Institutions for Children’ project to prevent child abuse and safety accidents. The project respects children’s rights and realizes them through child participation as a basic principle, providing education and consulting necessary for institutions to systematically establish and apply their own child safety protection policies to prevent accidents threatening children’s safety and to immediately report and respond to risks.
Seodaemun-gu is the first in Seoul to participate, and through this business agreement, the project will be promoted in 13 child care institutions in Seodaemun-gu, including seven Our Neighborhood Care Centers and six regional child centers. Education on child safety protection policies will be provided to participating institution workers, and positive parenting education will be conducted for parents of applicant institutions. Workshops will also be held for child safety protection officers in each institution to share field monitoring and establish internal compliance checks, thereby preparing child safety protection systems for each institution.
District Mayor Moon Seok-jin expressed his ambition, saying, “All children are our children,” and “Seodaemun-gu will actively cooperate with Save the Children, local child care institutions, and the district office to respect children as individuals and treat them responsibly, creating a child-friendly city where children live well and safely.”
Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) operates ‘Our Neighborhood Care Team’ that directly cares for neighbors at risk of solitary death and those in welfare blind spots.
‘Our Neighborhood Care Team’ is a project where local residents who know the area well and live close to neighbors in need regularly visit crisis households in welfare blind spots, check on their well-being, and connect them to necessary social welfare services.
The district prioritized residents registered in Dongdaemun-gu who are interested in the community and lead volunteer activities for selection into the care team. Selected team members receive basic education related to activities and additional training to enhance expertise, including case management, counseling techniques, safety education, and field training.
Especially from this year, to establish a more thorough continuous care system, the target areas have been expanded to 14 neighborhoods, and a total of 20 members will regularly monitor households at risk of solitary death and those in welfare blind spots.
Additionally, through monthly regular meetings, various cases are shared, and when necessary, public social services such as social security and emergency welfare are connected, as well as diverse welfare services encompassing public and private sectors like hope matching, food banks, and sharing stores.
Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol said, “Although the number of neighbors needing help is increasing due to solitary deaths and rising suicide rates, problems in welfare blind spots are emerging due to the limits of public welfare,” adding, “We will spare no support so that Our Neighborhood Care Team can actively operate to help neighbors in welfare blind spots.”
Dongdaemun-gu provides life-close welfare services such as temporary home care services, short-term facility admission, and meal support, and launched and operates the neighborhood-level ‘Care SOS Center’ with the district welfare policy division as an integrated support center to minimize care gaps. Recently, plaques for the Care SOS Center have been attached to 14 neighborhood community centers to promote the project.
◆Seoul Yongsan-gu Personnel
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