Preventing Long-Term Disabilities in Abused and Neglected Children... Seoul City Implements 'Mind Healing Group Home' Program

Seoul City Launches First Domestic Mind Healing Group Homes... Support Expanded from 10 to 14 Locations
Securing Golden Time to Prevent Lifelong Sequelae After Accidents

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 5th that it will operate a 'Mind Healing Group Home' for children under protection who enter group homes without having healed their emotional wounds due to the continuous occurrence of abuse and neglect and the immediate separation policy.

The Mind Healing Group Home operation is a project that supports psychological therapy programs such as play, art, and drama for children in existing group homes who require intensive care due to symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), weak physical conditions, and other factors.

Starting this September, the program will be prioritized for children among the victims who are more vulnerable and require intensive care due to ADHD symptoms, borderline intelligence, weak physical conditions, and similar issues. Among children in group homes, those requiring intensive care due to borderline intelligence, ADHD symptoms, and weak physical conditions account for 32% of the current population.

Seoul City supports up to 100,000 KRW per individual therapy session, up to 200,000 KRW per group therapy session, and up to 420,000 KRW for comprehensive examination fees. To reduce the economic burden on group homes, the treatment fee rates have been adjusted to lower the self-payment ratio. Not only has the range of treatments tailored to each child's characteristics, such as psychological counseling, art therapy, sand play, and drama therapy, expanded, but relatively higher-priced home visits for therapy have also become possible. Additionally, community activities conducted by therapy experts help foster intimacy among children and provide education so that children living together can understand the characteristics of those requiring intensive care. Support is provided up to 1,000,000 KRW per location.

Furthermore, Seoul City helps identify and understand the characteristics of children with ADHD symptoms and borderline intelligence, and prevents staff burnout by providing one-on-one parenting counseling and parenting stress management strategies. Counseling fees are supported up to 5 sessions per caregiver, with a maximum of 100,000 KRW per session. The number of supported locations has been expanded from the initial 10 to 14 to reflect the high demand in the field.

Meanwhile, Seoul City supports not only simple protection but also active parenting policies including psychological and emotional treatment to help children grow into physically and mentally healthy adults. To prevent increased resignations due to burnout caused by relying solely on staff parenting without expert intervention, psychological counseling for caregivers is also provided.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, stated, “Just as early treatment is important for physical wounds or illnesses, experts in abused child treatment emphasize that early treatment and consistent management are crucial for emotional wounds as well,” adding, “We will do our best in the Mind Healing Group Home project to ensure that children who have been hurt can grow up healthily without trauma through sufficient treatment.”