Experts Say "The Long-Standing Childcare Issue Requires a Complete Overhaul of Public Services" [The Quagmire of Care]

[The Swamp of Care]⑥ Expert Dialogue
Researchers in Social Welfare, Childcare, and Urban Design
"Public Care Policy Deviates from Initial Intent"
"Private Companies Should Be Managed Flexibly but Strictly"
Foreign Worker Introduction: "Low Care Value" vs "New Attempt"

In an era of low birth rates, how can Korean society solve the problem of childcare? Four researchers from various fields including social welfare studies, childcare policy, and urban design, interviewed by Asia Economy on the 7th, unanimously agreed that a comprehensive overhaul of the current public childcare services is necessary. Along with this, they suggested that long-term alternatives should be prepared based on detailed demand surveys of the domestic childcare market.

Public Childcare Should Focus on ‘Vulnerable Groups and Full-Day Care’

Many researchers emphasized that to solve the supply shortage of public childcare services, support should be concentrated on vulnerable groups and low-income families, which were the initial target groups in the early model design. Kim Areum, a research fellow at the Childcare Policy Research Institute and a childcare policy researcher, said in an interview with Asia Economy, "The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to expand public childcare services so that parents can choose according to their needs, but public childcare should focus on vulnerable groups and full-day care." She added, "Due to the characteristics of public childcare providers who are subject to the four major social insurances and the Labor Standards Act, it is difficult to increase their numbers beyond the current level."

Song Dayoung, a professor of social welfare at Incheon National University specializing in family welfare, also explained, "Public childcare has deviated significantly from the original policy intent. It is appropriate to connect caregivers to those who have difficulty receiving care from relatives, such as low-income families and single-parent households."

Incorporation into the Private Institutional Sector, but ‘Flexibly’

All agreed that state management is necessary for childcare companies operating in the private market. An urban design expert, Ahn Hyunchan, a research fellow at the Seoul Institute, said, "Currently, there are no regulations under the Childcare Support Act for private childcare helpers or service providers, so I think they should be included within a minimum public management system."

Ahn suggested, "It is appropriate to remove restrictions that could limit the advantages of private childcare helpers and create separate regulations tailored to the private sector." For example, to meet the demand for 'gap childcare' (short-term care) that many parents currently want, the qualification requirements should not be at the level of public childcare providers but rather at the level of short-term part-time work. Research fellow Kim also added that flexible management is needed for short-term childcare providers, such as exempting them from the four major social insurances and the Labor Standards Act.

Jung Ikjung, a professor of social welfare at Ewha Womans University and director of the Child Rights Protection Agency, said, "In a situation where public and private childcare already coexist, the issue now is how much public responsibility the private sector will take on." He added, "There must be guarantees for minimum conditions such as criminal records, child abuse history, and health issues for private childcare helpers."

Along with this, there were opinions that cost subsidies such as vouchers for private companies are necessary. Research fellow Kim emphasized, "If private companies are brought into a national registration system and strictly managed, and vouchers are provided to users of these companies, other companies will also improve service quality to enter the market."

Could ‘Foreign Domestic Workers’ Be an Alternative?

Regarding the recently promoted policy of introducing 'foreign domestic workers' by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor as an alternative, researchers offered different analyses. Research fellow Kim said, "It would have been better if the introduction was made after properly conducting a domestic childcare demand survey," adding, "I think the focus was too much on low-cost labor without properly surveying demand."

Professor Song also pointed out, "It revealed the intention to use the value of care labor at minimum wage by emphasizing cheaper labor."

On the other hand, there were opinions that the introduction of foreign domestic workers is necessary in the long term. Research fellow Ahn said, "If treatment and conditions in the childcare sector do not improve dramatically, the situation where sufficient domestic labor supply is not achieved is likely to continue," adding, "Like in manufacturing, construction, and agriculture sectors, it is necessary to prepare for foreigners to come to Korea and work." Professor Jung also said, "It means a new attempt was made," and added, "An analysis of the outcomes and limitations is needed."