Yangcheon-gu Mokdong 10 Complex 'Our Neighborhood Care Center Branch 6' Opens

281㎡ Facility Established on 2nd Floor of Mokdong Apartment Complex 10 Residents' Community Center, Opening Ceremony on March 12
Multipurpose Space, Dynamic and Static Play Areas, Nurse's Office to Provide Comprehensive Local Elementary Care
Available to All Children Aged 6-12 Needing Care for 50,000 KRW per Month Regardless of Income

Yangcheon-gu (District Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it will open and operate the “Our Neighborhood Care Center Yangcheon Branch No. 6,” a community-centered customized gap care service to address the blind spots in after-school care for elementary school students, starting this month.

Earlier, from January to March last year, the district secured the residents’ shared facility of Mokdong Apartment Complex 10 as a candidate site for the Care Center through the discovery of unused spaces in multi-family housing and residents’ briefings.

This location is within 500 meters walking distance of two elementary schools, making it easily accessible for children. Despite having a high elementary school population ratio (9.8%), there were no public care facilities other than school care classrooms, raising the need to establish a facility to meet the high demand for care. Accordingly, the district signed a free lease agreement with the residents’ representative council and reorganized the underutilized study room space into a Care Center.

The newly opened “Our Neighborhood Care Center Yangcheon Branch No. 6 (hereafter ‘Center’)” was established on the second floor of the residents’ shared facility of Mokdong Apartment Complex 10, covering an area of 281㎡ (85 pyeong).

The interior facilities consist of ▲ a ‘multipurpose space’ located in the central hall ▲ a ‘dynamic play space’ with wooden accessories reminiscent of a secret space ▲ a ‘static play space’ for programs such as reading ▲ a health room ▲ and an office. In particular, the space is designed as an open area with bright-colored interior and arched windows to enhance children’s sensitivity.

The operating hours are from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the school term and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during vacations, strengthening evening care. Especially, to fill the care gap for dual-income families working on weekends, the center operates on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The center is staffed by four care teachers including the center director and one cook, providing one-stop customized care services including special programs such as art, physical education, horticulture, crafts, reading, child counseling, and meal and snack provision.

The usage fee for the center is 50,000 KRW per month, including meals, snacks, and program fees, and 2,500 KRW per day for temporary care. Detailed information such as reservation applications can be found on the ‘Our Neighborhood Care Portal.’

Starting with Our Neighborhood Care Center Yangcheon Branch No. 1 (20 Sinjeong-ro 11-gil), which opened in September 2019, the district currently operates a total of seven centers, including six district-run centers?Yangcheon Branch No. 2 (86 Mokdongjungangbon-ro), No. 3 (54 Nambusunhwan-ro 83-gil), No. 4 (208 Deungchon-ro), No. 5 (19 Sinwol-ro 24-gil), and the newly opened No. 6 (400 Mokdongseo-ro)?and the Yangcheon Hub Our Neighborhood Care Center (municipal). A total of 444 children (199 regular, 245 temporary) use the centers.

Additionally, the district plans to establish the Our Neighborhood Care Center Branch No. 7 (within the residents’ shared facility of Sinjeong I-Pen House Complex 3) in the second half of this year and Branch No. 8 (within the Childcare Town) in the second half of next year to realize seamless community-centered care.

Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “Embracing the care of our children within the public domain has now become a national task,” adding, “We will continue to expand substantial care facilities at the community level to create Yangcheon-gu, a happy city where it is good to give birth to and raise children.”