Gyeonggi Province will invest 153.5 billion KRW this year to implement 36 'specialized childcare projects' aimed at improving childcare environments, which have been identified as a major cause of the sharp decline in birth rates. Additionally, to support maternal health after childbirth, public postpartum care centers will be opened in Anseong and Pyeongtaek by 2026. This will increase the number of public postpartum care centers in the province to four, following Yeoju and Pocheon.
According to Gyeonggi Province on the 13th, the province recently finalized 165 locations for new national and public daycare centers this year to expand public childcare. As of the end of last year, there were 1,326 national and public daycare centers in the province, and once all the new locations open, the total will increase to 1,491.
The province will also expand public-type daycare centers that provide childcare quality at the level of national and public centers by 27 locations this year. This will bring the total number of public-type daycare centers in the province to 650. Public-type daycare centers are selected from excellent private and home daycare centers and operated accordingly.
Furthermore, joint workplace daycare centers operated by multiple small and medium-sized enterprises will be expanded to a total of 71 locations by 2026, including three new centers this year. In addition, 18 more nighttime extended daycare centers will be added, bringing the total to 1,850, and 21 additional locations will be provided for hourly childcare services used by infants in home care during emergencies.
To create a pleasant childcare environment, the province will support maintenance costs for air purifiers in all daycare centers and install air circulators in 75 national and public centers. Also, it will provide up to 570,000 KRW per month per childcare staff member to improve their treatment, and deploy 17,750 assistant and extended childcare teachers as well as 994 substitute teachers to improve working conditions for childcare teachers.
The province is also promoting the expansion of public postpartum care centers to support maternal health after childbirth.
By 2026, public postpartum care centers will be opened in Anseong and Pyeongtaek. This will increase the number of public postpartum care centers in the province to four, including the currently operating centers in Yeoju and Pocheon.
The Anseong public postpartum care center will receive an investment of 18.7 billion KRW and will be constructed with a total floor area of 3,200㎡ and approximately 20 maternal rooms. Anseong City plans to purchase land near Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Anseong Hospital in Oksan-dong to build the center. Construction is expected to begin as early as 2025, with the goal of opening in 2026.
The Pyeongtaek public postpartum care center will target the relatively underserved western region of Pyeongtaek and will be established by purchasing and remodeling an existing building, aiming to open in October 2024. Pyeongtaek City will invest 8.8 billion KRW to build the center with a total floor area of 1,500㎡ and about 15 maternal rooms.
The province previously opened the first public postpartum care center in the province, Yeoju Public Postpartum Care Center, in May 2019. The Pocheon Public Postpartum Care Center is scheduled to open in April this year.
To further expand public postpartum care centers, the province plans to explore various types, including utilizing postpartum care centers that have closed due to poor management or establishing postpartum care centers affiliated with private hospitals that have the willingness to operate such facilities.
Ji Ju-yeon, Director of the Women's and Family Bureau of the province, emphasized, "We will do our best to increase public childcare support and create a unique childcare environment in Gyeonggi Province to reduce the burden that makes people hesitate to have children due to childcare concerns."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
