Cheongsong-gun, Establishing a Community-Centered Social Safety Net

Realizing Reliable and Robust Universal Welfare

Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, has set the direction for this year's welfare policy as "Realizing Reliable Universal Welfare with Precision" and will actively work on establishing a social safety net centered on its residents.

Cheongsong-gun expands the target group for senior job projects to establish a stable foundation for the elderly's retirement life.

This year, the county plans to eliminate welfare blind spots for socially vulnerable groups and provide appropriate welfare services to various groups such as the elderly, children, youth, women, and multicultural families, aiming to implement customized welfare that makes all residents happy.

First, to determine eligibility for social security benefits (basic livelihood security, basic pension, near-poverty class, etc.), the county will decide appropriate benefits through investigations using the social security system and on-site visits, and will regularly investigate changes in personal and income/property status to maintain eligibility, thereby providing tailored guaranteed benefits for minimum livelihood security and life stabilization support.

In addition, by establishing a human safety net where neighbors care for neighbors (such as Annyoung Salpimi and the Community Social Security Council), the county will detect welfare crisis households early and operate and support Neighbor Village Welfare Centers so that local residents can organize themselves, strengthen their capabilities, and independently establish and implement village welfare plans to solve community problems.

Also, as a new project this year, to prevent solitary deaths and social isolation households, the county will build a continuous discovery support system and promote a public-private cooperation campaign to alleviate social isolation. For households at risk of solitary death, integrated case management, smart check-ins and monitoring through IoT devices will be conducted, and cooking classes for middle-aged single-person households will be operated to support healthy eating habits and provide opportunities for social participation.

Furthermore, to honor and support national veterans and their families who sacrificed their lives with patriotic and national defense spirit through numerous trials in history, the county will provide veteran honor allowances, veterans' welfare allowances, and veteran spouse allowances. To offer social participation and income opportunities for disabled persons who are often marginalized, the county will provide jobs for the disabled and actively implement customized welfare services such as disability pensions, allowances, and medical expense support.

To provide comfortable resting spaces for the elderly, the county will support the construction, renovation, and activation supplies of senior centers, and especially promote the distribution of sofas and standing tables to support healthy leisure activities for seniors who experience discomfort due to the traditional floor-sitting culture in senior centers.

Along with this, the county will expand the number of participants in senior job projects every year to establish a stable foundation for the elderly's retirement life and increase opportunities for social participation.

Additionally, the county plans to build a comprehensive social safety net to ensure a comfortable and vibrant old age by providing basic pension payments, bathing fee support for seniors, operating senior happiness helper projects, and offering appropriate care services for vulnerable elderly who have difficulty living independently.

Next, the county will take the lead in creating a childcare environment and encouraging childbirth. Customized childcare services will be provided through parental allowances, infant care fees, home care allowances, and child allowances, and a green remodeling project for aging childcare facilities will be carried out to create a safe childcare environment.

In particular, comprehensive after-school care services will be supported for children through Dream Start projects, community child centers, Together Care Centers, youth after-school academies, and youth protection and fostering projects. Various leisure activity opportunities will be provided to youth to help them fulfill their roles as healthy members of society.

Moreover, to help multicultural families quickly understand and adapt to cultural differences, the county will operate and support home education, Korean language study rooms, and specialized social adaptation programs.

Furthermore, the county has prepared plans to improve local educational conditions by supporting school education such as after-school programs, reducing parents' economic burdens through support for middle and high school freshmen's uniform purchase costs, and free high school education to strengthen public education.

Finally, to encourage academic improvement and talent development, scholarships will be awarded to outstanding students, and the Cheongsong Talent Development Center will actively work to raise local students' educational aspirations by providing quality educational opportunities and entrance exam information. Lifelong learning programs such as the Happy Cheongsong Academy, Happy Cheongsong Residents University, and adult literacy education support will also be actively promoted to help residents enjoy the joy of learning and improve their quality of life.

County Governor Yoon Kyung-hee said, "We will do our best throughout this year to create a welfare Cheongsong that inspires hope and courage in residents and a happy Cheongsong where residents' lives are more stable and prosperous."