Yeongdeungpo-gu Operates the Most 'Multicultural Integrated Daycare Centers' in Seoul

[Seoul District News] Yeongdeungpo-gu Operates Total 16 Sites with 5 Additional Designations, Accounting for 13.4% of Seoul's 120 Sites · Customized Childcare System Supporting Healthy Growth of Multicultural Family Children... Mapo-gu Recruiting 2nd Phase Participants for ‘Dabaeum Project’... Dongjak-gu Recruiting Students for 'The Village is the School' with Rest and Play... Gwanak-gu Installs 'Gang Gamchan QR Code Signs' at 70 Child Protection Zones Allowing Illegal Parking Reports

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) has designated 5 additional 'Multicultural Integrated Daycare Centers,' a customized vulnerable childcare system for young children from multicultural families, expanding the total to 16 centers.

This accounts for the highest proportion of 13.4% among the total 120 multicultural integrated daycare centers located in Seoul's autonomous districts, reflecting Yeongdeungpo-gu's reputation as a leading multicultural autonomous district representing the southwestern region.

The 'Multicultural Integrated Daycare Center' is a demand-oriented customized childcare system that nurtures young children from multicultural families and general young children together, broadening understanding of diverse cultures and supporting children from multicultural families to grow into healthy members of society.

The district plans to provide opportunities for young children to naturally experience multiculturalism through experiential play using educational tools and materials, promoting harmonious living without prejudice between foreigners and locals.

The new designation of multicultural integrated daycare centers underwent on-site inspections by the autonomous district and evaluations by the Seoul Metropolitan Government's selection committee.

Considering factors such as 'number of multicultural children per daycare center,' 'childcare environment and overall operation status of daycare centers,' 'regional supply and demand status of multicultural integrated daycare centers,' and 'areas with high concentrations of multicultural families,' Yeongdeungpo-gu finally selected five centers: Little Pureun Daycare Center, Little Youngil Woori Daycare Center, Mirunamu Daycare Center, Saesanga Daycare Center, and Yeongdeungpo Dundeun Daycare Center.

Additionally, the district has designated centers such as Shinil Daycare Center (’08), Daerim 2-dong Daycare Center (’10), Singil 5-dong Daycare Center (’14), Haedalbyeol Ai Sarang Daycare Center (’15), Gangseong Eorini School Daycare Center (’17), Ttunteun Daycare Center (’17), Daon Daycare Center (’18), Daerim 1-dong Daycare Center (’19), Haetae Daycare Center (’19), Yangpyeong 3-ga Daycare Center (’20), and Kids Daycare Center (’20) as multicultural integrated daycare centers, operating various multicultural specialized programs.

Furthermore, the district is taking a proactive approach to creating a childcare environment that guarantees non-discriminatory educational opportunities and addresses blind spots in child welfare by providing childcare fee support from district funds to children with foreign nationality.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “We hope the new designation of multicultural integrated daycare centers will greatly benefit multicultural families, daycare centers, and the local community,” adding, “We will continue to support multicultural and general children to recognize cultural differences, foster mutual understanding and exchange, and grow together.”

A, a Vietnamese marriage immigrant with a child about to enter elementary school, expressed gratitude, saying, “I was worried that my child might fall behind after entering elementary school because I am not fluent in Korean. Thanks to the ‘Dabaeum Classes’ conducted by Mapo-gu, I was able to ease my worries.”

Mapo-gu (District Mayor Park Kang-soo) is recruiting the second term of the ‘Dabaeum Project,’ which supports learning for children from multicultural families before entering elementary school.

The completion ceremony for the first term of the ‘Dabaeum Project’ conducted by the Mapo-gu Family Center was held on the 23rd at the Mapo-gu Family Center. Twenty children from multicultural families, including China, Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia, attended and shared their thoughts about the classes.

Seven-year-old Choi Dasom (pseudonym), who participated in the classes, expressed joy at completing the program, saying, “I was happy to study with the Dabaeum teacher and make many friends.”

The second term of the ‘Dabaeum Project,’ following the first, includes not only basic courses such as learning Korean alphabet and number concepts but also visits to elementary schools to experience Korean culture, offering a variety of program contents to give children a preview of elementary school life.

The recruitment targets children aged 6 (born in 2017) and 7 (born in 2018) from multicultural families, planning to recruit a total of 24 children and form 4 classes.

Recruitment is ongoing and will close on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications can be made by phone consultation at the Mapo-gu Family Center.

The district operates programs reflecting the characteristics of multicultural families at the Mapo-gu Family Center, including ▲Bilingual Class ▲Language Development Class ▲Multitalented Program ▲Visiting Education Service.

For more details, please check the program information on the Mapo-gu Family Center website.

Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We hope this project will help alleviate difficulties faced by multicultural families in elementary school admission,” adding, “The Mapo-gu Family Support Center offers various free programs not only for multicultural families but also for general families and single-person households, so we encourage many to use them.”

Dongjak-gu (District Mayor Park Il-ha) announced that the second half program of ‘The Village is the School,’ an out-of-school village after-school class, will start in August, and applications are open until the 15th of this month.

‘The Village is the School’ is part of the Dongjak Innovative Education District project, providing creative experiential education focused on rest and play for children and adolescents by utilizing local resources, while also strengthening care functions.

The program is held twice a year, in the first and second halves, and has gained high competition during registration periods through word of mouth among parents. In the first half of this year, 166 children and adolescents participated in 19 programs, achieving a 94% satisfaction rate.

Starting in August, 17 new programs will be offered, including ▲Making Our Neighborhood Exploration Book by Hand ▲French Embroidery ▲Creative Thinking Board Games ▲Leather Craft ▲Reading Haburuta, covering a wide range of fields such as culture and arts, play and sports, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Notably, the second half will add 7 courses with advanced content developed from the first half programs, preparing a total of 24 programs.

▲Guitar Lessons ▲Minhwa Painting ▲Artificial Intelligence and Metaverse Coding, among others, will expand basic courses from the first half into advanced courses, allowing children and adolescents to continue upgraded education in the second half.

Classes will be held until November at small libraries, cafes, and other idle village spaces within Dongjak-gu, and only courses meeting the minimum enrollment of 10 students will be conducted.

Applications can be made online or via the Android mobile app (‘Happy School Hope Education’) until the 15th. For more information, contact the Dongjak-gu Office Education Policy Division or the Social Cooperative Happy School Hope Education.

Jung Jong-rok, Director of the Education Policy Division, said, “We will actively strive to realize safe care where students can enjoy learning in the village and parents can entrust their children with peace of mind.”

Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Jun-hee) is operating a system that allows reporting of illegal parking and stopping that obstruct pedestrian traffic and threaten the safety of children on their way to and from school within school zones using QR codes.

Following the amendment of the Road Traffic Act in November last year, which prohibits parking and stopping within school zones, the district installed ‘Gang Gam-chan QR Code Signboards’ at 70 school zones in the area to report illegal parking and stopping.

Any resident who notices illegal parking or stopping threatening the safety of children on their way to and from school can scan the ‘Gang Gam-chan QR Code’ with a smartphone, which launches the ‘Seoul Smart Inconvenience Reporting App’ to report the violation.

The previous method of reporting by phone was very inconvenient because it required informing the responsible official of the violating vehicle’s information, location, and time one by one.

In contrast, reporting using the QR code is easy and simple even for elementary school students: after launching the app and taking a photo of the violating vehicle, the license plate is automatically recognized, and time and location information are saved together.

Moreover, the ‘Gang Gam-chan QR Code Signboards’ installed at key locations within school zones raise awareness among drivers intending to park or stop illegally, serving as a preventive measure against traffic violations.

The ‘Gang Gam-chan QR Code Signboards’ were initiated as a talent donation by ‘Design Crew 369 Degrees,’ a group of young people solving public sector problems with ideas, and were made more approachable by using the district’s symbolic character Gang Gam-chan, attracting residents’ attention.

Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, “Traffic accidents in school zones are mainly caused by illegal parking and stopping that block drivers’ visibility,” adding, “We will actively promote the eradication of illegal parking and stopping practices in school zones to ensure children’s safety.”