Seoul City Launches Full-Scale Activities of 120 'Childcare Support Coordinators'

The One-Stop Solution for Parenting Concerns

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] On the 14th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that as part of the 'Mom and Dad Happiness Project' to create a city good for raising children, it will officially launch the activities of the childcare support coordinators, a one-stop solution for parenting concerns.

Parents who want to use the ‘Childcare Support Coordinator’ service (families raising children under 5 years old or expecting childbirth) can contact the Dasan Call Center or the district comprehensive childcare support centers to receive the contact information of a ‘Childcare Support Coordinator’ via text message. Consultations are available by phone or text on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Families with newborns can receive information about the ‘Childcare Support Coordinator’ program when registering the birth at the local community service center. After submitting an application form, the childcare support coordinator will contact them first via text message after a certain period, allowing them to request consultations or necessary information.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that it selected 120 ‘Childcare Support Coordinators’ and, after one week of training and workshops, assigned 3 to 6 coordinators per district to begin their activities.

Childcare support coordinators are also establishing themselves as sustainable public female jobs. All 120 coordinators hired this year are women, and among them, 92 (77%) have more than one year of experience as childcare support coordinators (formerly known as Our Neighborhood Childcare Leaders), with 37 (31%) having consistently worked for over three years.

Meanwhile, among the selected ‘Childcare Support Coordinators,’ 83 (69%) had prior experience in childcare settings and held certifications as childcare teachers, kindergarten teachers, or social workers. By age group, those in their 40s were the largest at 58 (48%), followed by those in their 30s at 44 (37%).

Going forward, childcare support coordinators will diversify consultation channels by newly launching the ‘Visiting Joint Childcare Room Counseling Program’ and ‘KakaoTalk Channel Counseling Service’ to provide more detailed childcare consultations,

and in the first half of the year, they plan to publish and distribute an e-book titled ‘Our Neighborhood Thorough Childcare Information,’ which compiles information collected through on-the-ground efforts and childcare policy research conducted directly by the childcare support coordinators.

Kim Seonsun, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, “Childcare support coordinators will serve as on-site, close-contact one-stop problem solvers for parenting concerns,” adding, “Parents who want to know about childcare information in their neighborhood or need counseling for their concerns should not hesitate to actively utilize the childcare support coordinators.”