Gyeonggi Province is expanding shelters and self-reliance support centers to ensure that 'out-of-home youth' can be quickly protected without falling into crisis.
Out-of-home youth are young people who have left their homes due to family conflicts or family breakdowns. Facilities that protect them include youth shelters and youth self-reliance support centers.
Youth shelters are places where out-of-home youth can live like at home while continuing their studies or employment activities. Youth self-reliance support centers assist out-of-home youth living independently by providing support for monthly rent, employment, health, psychological counseling, and more to help them establish stable independence in society.
Currently, there are about 260 youth residing in 32 youth shelters across the province. Additionally, three youth self-reliance support centers provide housing and livelihood support to about 90 youth who have left shelters to help them establish a foundation for independence.
Youth who have lived in youth shelters for a certain period can move into public rental housing through Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH). Currently, 39 youth reside in public rental housing in Gyeonggi Province. The province also supports youth who have not moved into public rental housing by providing assistance for monthly rent and moving expenses to help them secure stable housing.
For out-of-home youth to become independent in society, employment is as important as housing. The province supports education expenses, textbook costs, and more to help out-of-home youth build a stable foundation for independence through employment. Emergency living expenses are provided during long-term education participation so that youth can focus on their studies without worrying about their livelihood.
Furthermore, in cooperation with companies, internship programs are offered to give youth the opportunity to experience working life and secure regular employment. In February of this year, in partnership with KT, seven youth were given the opportunity to work as interns at three KT Group subsidiaries.
Recently, the province allocated 15 million KRW per youth shelter and 58 million KRW each to two self-reliance support centers to carry out support projects ensuring that out-of-home youth have no deficiencies in daily life such as studies, psychological counseling, housing, and employment.
In addition to shelters and self-reliance support centers, the province introduced the 'Self-Reliance Double Savings Account' program last year to help youth save large sums of money and improve their economic conditions, which are important for independent living.
The Self-Reliance Double Savings Account program provides additional savings support of twice the youth’s own savings (up to 200,000 KRW per month) for up to six years, allowing them to use the funds for major expenses such as starting a business, key money for rental housing, or marriage. Currently, about 130 youth are participating in the program. Additional youth will be recruited in the second half of this year.
The province is further strengthening support by allocating 15 million KRW per youth shelter and 58 million KRW each to two self-reliance support centers to ensure that out-of-home youth have no deficiencies in daily life such as studies, psychological counseling, housing, and employment, differentiating itself from other cities and provinces.
Kim Hyang-sook, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Lifelong Education Bureau, said, "Waiting for out-of-home youth to return home on their own is close to neglect. While it is best for youth to receive support from their parents at home, for those who cannot, the state and local governments must support them with a parental heart so that they can adapt to society and become independent."
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