The number of users of ‘Always Daycare,’ a 24/7 emergency childcare service available 365 days a year for infants and toddlers in Gyeonggi Province, has exceeded 1,440 just over 100 days since the service began.
Gyeonggi Province announced on the 9th that since the opening of five ‘Always Daycare’ centers on June 1, the number of infant and toddler users had reached approximately 1,440 as of the first week of September.
‘Always Daycare’ is a childcare facility operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, where parents can safely leave their children anytime in temporary or emergency situations, such as dual-income families, self-employed parents, or sudden childcare needs.
Parents residing in the province with infants and toddlers aged 6 months to under 7 years (pre-school age) can use the service anytime without any conditions, whether they are raising their children at home or their children attend daycare or kindergarten.
The five ‘Always Daycare’ centers opened on June 1 are ▲ Aram Daycare (Bucheon City) ▲ Hills Park Municipal Daycare (Namyangju City) ▲ Geumbit Haneul Municipal Daycare (Gimpo City) ▲ Haengbok Moa Municipal Daycare (Hanam City) ▲ and the 24-hour Childcare Center in Icheon City.
Residents of nearby cities and counties outside these municipalities can also use the service if they are Gyeonggi residents, making it convenient for those living in Uijeongbu, Siheung, Gwangju, Yongin, Ansan, Guri, Yeoju, Seongnam, and other areas with good accessibility.
Families in need of childcare can call the ‘Always Daycare’ center or the Children’s Always Care Center (010-9979-7722) by 3 p.m. on the day of use to inquire and apply.
Operating hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. the following day. The ‘Always Daycare’ centers will operate during this Chuseok holiday except for the day itself (September 17). The usage fee is 3,000 KRW per hour.
Guardians (applicants) must bring an ID card and a resident registration certificate or family relation certificate verifying their relationship with the infant or toddler (foreigners must bring a certificate of foreign registration), and individually prepare necessary items for their child (diapers, personal bedding, spare clothes, snacks, etc.).
Kim Mi-seong, Director of the Women and Family Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "We hope this customized childcare service, which parents can trust when they suddenly need to leave their children, will help reduce the burden of childcare." She added, "We will continue to develop emergency and gap childcare services and strive to create an environment conducive to raising children while balancing work and family life."
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