Pohang City, "Childbirth is Happiness, Parenting is Rewarding"... Creating a Safe Childcare Environment

Operation of Early Morning Shift Daycare, New Projects Including Foreign Children Childcare Fee Support

Expansion of Daycare Environment Improvement Fund Support and Replacement of Old CCTV for Childcare Facility Environment Improvement

Pohang City is recently focusing its administrative efforts on expanding public childcare services and promoting demand-centered customized childcare service policies in response to the rapid decline in birth rates.

In February, Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, visited the Neulpureunmaeum Regional Children's Center to have a conversation supporting the dreams of the children.

Through the first supplementary budget this year, the city secured funds for new projects including ▲operation of early morning class daycare centers ▲support for daycare center environment improvement costs ▲childcare fee support for foreign children (ages 0-2) ▲and daycare center space utilization care projects.

The operation of early morning class daycare centers is a project that extends childcare hours for children who need care during vulnerable times due to the increase in dual-income families. The operating hours are from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., providing childcare services during vulnerable hours to minimize childcare gaps and is expected to particularly help reduce the childcare burden on dual-income families.

The city is also expanding support for daycare center environment improvement costs. Prioritizing full repairs and replacements of outdated CCTVs, the city is investing 400 million KRW from its own budget to support costs at 250 childcare facilities.

Through this, safety facilities will be improved to prevent child abuse and protect teachers' rights, creating a safe and pleasant childcare environment.

Meanwhile, foreign children have faced childcare inequality as there has been no system to support childcare fees borne by parents compared to general children.

In response, Pohang City plans to contribute to reducing parental burdens and stabilizing daycare center operations by supporting childcare fees for ages 3-5 (280,000 KRW per child per month) with provincial support and for ages 0-2 (200,000 KRW per child per month) with city funds, ensuring foreign children receive equal childcare services.

Additionally, the city was selected for the Gyeongbuk Province low birthrate response contest project, “Daycare Center Space Utilization Care Project,” and plans to implement the project starting in June.

This project selects two private daycare centers capable of providing idle space near overcrowded elementary schools through a public contest and offers care for lower-grade elementary students (grades 1-2) on weekdays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., preventing care gaps.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “Childcare requires the community and government to develop demand-centered policies, and listening to field opinions is more important than anything else,” adding, “We will further concentrate administrative efforts to create a seamless and reassuring childcare environment that citizens can feel.”

To improve the efficiency of daycare center operations support, the city regularly delivers eco-friendly high-quality food ingredients such as rice, eggs, and fruits to daycare centers every month. In addition, the city is promoting various projects to stabilize daycare center operations and improve teachers’ rights, including support for heating costs, holiday leave pay for childcare staff, and allowances for childcare staff.