Nowon-gu Opens 29th Local Representative Childcare Policy 'Aihoo Center'

The 4th Converged I-Hu Center Equipped with a Children's Cafeteria... No After-School Care Gap for Elementary Students!
Elementary Care Facilities and Joint Childcare Rooms for Preschoolers within a Publicly Contributed Sports Center
Since 2018, Recognized as a Leading Policy for a 'Safe and Nurturing Environment' with Ongoing Expansion

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced the opening of an additional community-based elementary after-school care facility called the 'I-Hyu Center.'

Since the first branch opened in November 2018 on the first floor of Sangye Jugong Complex 10 apartment, this is the 29th center.

The newly opened Sangye 3.4-dong integrated I-Hyu Center, established on the second floor of the Sangye Community Sports Center built through public contributions from the Nowon Lotte Castle Signature apartment complex that moved in last year, covers an area of 211.4㎡. It is equipped with ▲activity rooms ▲living rooms ▲counseling and office spaces ▲and a children's dining hall (including a kitchen).

The Nowon-style care facility ‘I-Hyu (休) Center’ is a program that provides full-day care for elementary school children from dual-income families. It aims to safely look after children who spend time alone after school and to reduce unnecessary private education burdens caused by frequent academy attendance.

From the parents' perspective, it serves as an alternative to the care gap after elementary school, while children benefit from various play contents with peers, a comfortable and stable space, and balanced meals and snacks, making it a highly satisfactory service with great response.

The center has a capacity of 30 children and can be used based on priority regardless of income. The priority order is single-parent working families, dual-income families with three or more children, families with three or more children under 12 years old, and then dual-income families.

Regular care is charged at a monthly fee of 20,000 KRW, and temporary care can also be requested when needed. The children's dining hall within the facility provides meals included in the monthly fee for regular care children, and starting from March next year, children not using the facility can also use the dining hall for one meal at a fee of 1,000 KRW upon prior application.

The center operates from 12 PM to 8 PM on weekdays, providing care services considering the working hours of dual-income parents. During school vacations, it operates from 9 AM, and on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM.

Meanwhile, the district also established the 'Sangye 3.4-dong Dodam Dodam Sharing Space' here. Dodam Dodam Sharing Space is a facility used by preschool children and their parents together, serving as a communal childcare cooperative space and indoor play area.

The district believes that its policies focused on building ‘infrastructure for pregnancy, childbirth, infant care, elementary after-school care, and youth education and creative activities,’ including the I-Hyu Center and communal childcare rooms, have had some positive effects. In fact, in the 2023 total fertility rate announced last February, the district recorded 0.67, the highest among Seoul's autonomous districts.

The opening ceremony for the two facilities will be held on the 16th at 11 AM at the I-Hyu Center.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “The I-Hyu Center is a leading policy that proactively addresses the major challenge of after-school care for elementary students, as much as for preschool children,” and added, “As the policy has proven effective and spread to various local governments, we will continue to enhance the completeness of the care system.”