Expansion of All Age Groups at 'Nowon Anshim Daycare Center'

Daycare Centers Reduce Number of Children per Caregiver, City Supports Operating Costs Proportionate to Reduced Child Count... From Next Year, Full City Funding of 1.8 Billion KRW for All Age Groups... Expanded from 3 Age Groups Last Year to 5 This Year, Supporting 219 Classes Across 129 Centers... Satisfaction Survey Highlights More Time for Child Interaction and Reduced Safety Incidents

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that starting next year, it will expand the 'Nowon Safe Daycare Center' project to all age groups to create a childcare environment that parents can trust.

The 'Nowon Safe Daycare Center' is a representative childcare project implemented since March last year. The district reduced the number of children per class in daycare centers and supported the corresponding class operation costs through bold measures, lowering the teacher-to-child ratio below the legal standard. This aims to provide children with a pleasant play environment to reduce the risk of safety accidents and to offer more intimate and detailed childcare.

From next year, the district will invest a total of 1.8 billion KRW to apply and support this project for all age groups nationwide for the first time. In March last year, the project began operating on the largest scale among autonomous districts by supporting a total of three classes ? ▲0-year-old class ▲3-year-old class ▲class for children with disabilities ? including national/public and Seoul-type daycare centers as well as private and home daycare centers. Since March this year, it has gradually expanded by adding ▲1-year-old class ▲4-year-old class, supporting a total of five classes.

For the 0-year-old and children with disabilities classes, the teacher-to-child ratio will be lowered from the existing 1:3 to 1:2, improving the childcare environment beyond the legal standards. The ratios to be met are: 1-year-old class from 1:5 to 1:4, 2-year-old class from 1:7 to 1:6, 3-year-old class from 1:15 to 1:12, 4-year-old class from 1:20 to 1:16, and 5-year-old class from 1:20 to 1:16.

Institutions interested in the Nowon Safe Daycare Center can apply by 6 p.m. on January 5 through the integrated childcare system or via email. Required application documents include ▲project application form ▲project operation plan ▲complete list of children enrolled in 2024 ▲status of information disclosure on the Information Disclosure Portal (self-inspection), among others.

Afterward, a committee composed of childcare experts will be held to review the operation plan and eligibility, and the final selection of Nowon Safe Daycare Centers will be made in January. The district will support class operation costs equivalent to the childcare fee unit price for the reduced number of children.

Among the selected daycare centers, those operating only infant classes (0-2 years old), toddler classes (3-5 years old), or classes for children with disabilities will be supported for up to three classes per location, while those operating simultaneously will be supported for up to four classes. The district plans to conduct regular guidance inspections and monitor project operations.

Last month, to understand the project’s operation status and enhance its substance, satisfaction surveys were conducted targeting 90 directors, 166 childcare staff, and 247 caregivers. As a result, directors cited securing sufficient time for infant and toddler behavior and interaction, and improving the working environment of childcare staff as the most improved aspects after being selected as Nowon Safe Daycare Centers. A significant number of childcare staff responded that the frequency of safety accidents involving infants and toddlers has actually decreased.

Additionally, nearly all directors (98%) wished for the continued operation of the Nowon Safe Daycare Centers, and almost all caregivers (99.2%) said they would recommend the project to other parents.

Meanwhile, this year, a total of 1.3 billion KRW was supported for 219 classes across 129 locations selected as Nowon Safe Daycare Centers. The district was recognized for actively communicating with the childcare field and discovering and promoting policies reflecting the district’s characteristics, receiving the highest award, the Presidential Award, at the ‘2022 Childcare Merit Government Awards’ hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare last year.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “I am proud that the 'Nowon Safe Daycare Center' project, started to create a child-rearing friendly environment, has established itself as the district’s representative childcare policy. Going forward, we will continue to communicate closely with the childcare field, discover public care projects, and share the burdens of childbirth and parenting together with the district.”