Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Evaluates Policies at Yoon Administration's Turning Point
Child Support Enforcement Agency to Begin Operations Next Year
Expansion of Care Support... From Children to Isolation and Withdrawal
The government will officially implement the 'Advance Child Support Payment System,' where the state first pays child support to single-parent families and later recovers the amount from the non-custodial parent, starting next year. This measure is part of a key national agenda to realize a society where 'no family is left behind and everyone participates together,' and support systems for isolated and reclusive youth will also be strengthened.
On the 15th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family reviewed the policies of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration over the past two and a half years and announced the 'Future Promotion Plan for Women, Family, and Youth Sectors,' which centers on these initiatives.
During the first half of the national agenda, the Ministry focused on expanding the scope and amount of child-rearing support for single-parent families. As a result, sanctions against child support defaulters were strengthened, and by simplifying the sanction procedures, the child support compliance rate increased by more than 15% compared to the end of 2021. Notably, the Ministry announced the introduction of the 'Advance Child Support Payment System,' where the state pays child support to minor children of single-parent families who do not receive support and subsequently recovers the amount from the debtor. The legal basis was established by amending the 'Child Support Enforcement Act,' and the Child Support Enforcement Agency will be made an independent institution to take over execution duties starting July next year.
Measures to prevent and strengthen punishment for digital sex crimes such as deepfakes have also been significantly enhanced. Last month, amendments to the 'Sexual Violence Prevention Act' and the 'Youth Sexual Protection Act' were completed, increasing penalties for coercion and threats related to the use of child and youth sexual exploitation materials, establishing support for the deletion of victims' personal information, and creating the legal basis for the establishment of the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center. Starting next year, the Ministry plans to expand the staff and budget of the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center to solidify victim protection and establish the '2nd Basic Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women' through 2029.
'Childcare' is also one of the areas where the Ministry has developed effective measures. Through the 'Advanced Plan for Childcare Services,' efforts have been made to expand public childcare service supply and improve the quality of private childcare. Additionally, government support for childcare services has been continuously expanded for multi-child families and adolescent single parents, and the education system has been reorganized to increase childcare workforce and enhance professionalism. As a result, the number of service-using households increased by more than 30%, from 72,000 households in 2021 to 96,000 households this year.
Next year, the Ministry plans to raise the child-rearing support amount from the current 210,000 KRW to 230,000 KRW and strengthen child-rearing support by expanding the government support eligibility for childcare services from households earning up to 150% of median income to those earning up to 200%. The independence support allowance for out-of-home youth will also be increased from 400,000 KRW to 500,000 KRW.
The government-wide 'Discovery and Support Plan for Isolated and Reclusive Youth' is also being meticulously established. After newly building and launching a dedicated support system to help these youths recover psychological and social relationships early and return to daily life, a first-ever survey is being conducted to understand their policy needs and characteristics. Based on these results, the Ministry plans to develop broad support measures next year.
In addition, various supports will be provided to prevent career breaks for women and promote their participation in economic activities. A Ministry official stated, "To promote women's participation in economic activities, we will introduce participation allowances for vocational training at Saeil Centers and expand employment retention incentives for Saeil female interns," adding, "We will also host the APEC Women’s Economic Ministers’ Meeting on the theme of expanding women's economic participation for sustainable growth."
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