Gyeonggi Province is expanding the ‘Happy Meal Program for Children During Vacation,’ which supports half of the lunch costs for children using the Dahamkke Care Centers during school vacations, from 23 cities and counties to 30 cities and counties.
Dahamkke Care Centers are elementary care facilities operating for children aged 6 to 12 regardless of income, running during the school term (1 PM to 8 PM) and vacations (9 AM to 6 PM), with 310 centers across the province. The issue is that unlike during the school term when lunch is provided at school, during vacations, children must cover meal costs themselves at the centers.
In response, Gyeonggi Province launched the ‘Happy Meal Program for Children During Vacation’ in January 2024, supporting 4,550 children at 198 Dahamkke Care Centers in 23 cities and counties including Yongin.
Starting this summer vacation, Gyeonggi Province has added seven more cities and counties such as Suwon and Bucheon, expanding the program to 30 cities and counties. However, Seongnam City was excluded as it runs its own program.
The specific support method is that the province and the cities/counties subsidize 50% of the meal cost, which is 9,000 KRW per meal. Families using the service pay the remaining 50%. Meals are provided regularly with high-quality standardized menus, either prepared in the care center kitchens or through partnerships with external catering companies (lunchboxes), ensuring parents can feel assured.
Yoo So-jeong, Director of the Child Care Division at Gyeonggi Province, said, "We expect this to fill the care gap caused by the suspension of school meals during vacations," adding, "By supporting Happy Meals for children using Dahamkke Care Centers in the province, we aim to reduce the economic burden on parents and create a safe and healthy care environment for children to grow."
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