Jeonnam Home Daycare Association Holds 'Low Birthrate Policy Forum'

The Jeonnam Home Daycare Association held a "Policy Debate" to explore preliminary tasks for childcare in the era of low birth rates. Photo by Jeonnam Home Daycare Association

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] The Jeonnam Home Daycare Association announced on the 16th that it held a ‘Policy Debate’ to explore preconditions for childcare in the era of low birth rates.

The debate was held the previous day at the 4th-floor auditorium of the Muan Resident Complex Center, attended by Kim San, Muan County Governor, Jeon Gyeong-seon, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly member, and Noh Jun-bok, President of the Jeonnam Daycare Association, to seek institutional improvements and support measures for home childcare.

Professor Jang Young-in of Halla University emphasized in the keynote presentation that the crisis of home daycare centers is based on the objective issue of low birth rates. She also explained that the low birth rate problem should be institutionalized as a social responsibility to provide a social nurturing environment and high-quality childcare services.

The attendees demanded that the government recognize and support the unique functions and advantages of small-scale facilities to guarantee the childcare rights of children using small-scale facilities.

Chairperson Shin Kyung-ok stated, “The government should integrate the dualized service system of daycare centers and kindergartens, standardize teacher qualifications and teacher-to-child ratios to provide high-quality childcare and early childhood education services,” adding, “To this end, the small-scale infant care system should be improved, including 100% support for cook staff wages.”