Seocho-gu Proves Excellence in Childcare Development, Wins 'Presidential Award'

The Only Recipient of the Presidential Award Among 226 Local Governments Nationwide
Realizing ‘Seocho, a Great Place to Have and Raise Children’ Through Specialization

Seocho-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 19th that it has received the Presidential Award in the Ministry of Education’s ‘2024 Childcare Development Meritorious Government Awards.’

This award recognizes Seocho-gu’s establishment of a new childcare paradigm unique to the district and its active implementation in the field, acknowledging the excellence and qualitative improvement of its childcare policies. Seocho-gu is the only autonomous district in Seoul to receive the Presidential Award.

Government Award for Childcare Development Presidential Award Ceremony. Provided by Seocho-gu.

The district was recognized for its achievements in five areas: contribution to the establishment and execution of government childcare policies, development of special local government initiatives, contribution to improving childcare teachers’ working conditions, contribution to the quality and safety management of daycare centers, and exemplary cases of childcare-related system improvements.

The ‘Seocho-type Shared Daycare Center,’ first introduced nationwide by the district, is a communal childcare system that groups 3 to 5 nearby daycare centers?including public, private, and home daycare centers?into one community to enhance childcare quality and promote mutual growth. By flexibly organizing classes according to demand, it reduces waiting times for admission, resolves imbalances in childcare supply and demand, lowers costs through joint and shared activities among daycare centers, and raises the overall quality of childcare. Starting with 4 daycare centers in one zone in 2019, it has expanded to 121 daycare centers across 25 zones this year.

Additionally, the ‘Teacher-to-Child Ratio Reduction Project,’ also the first of its kind nationwide, has made a significant impact on childcare and become a flagship project benchmarked by other local governments. From this year, the project expanded its target age groups from infants aged 0 and 3 to include 4- and 5-year-olds, further improving childcare quality.

Joint activity programs tailored for children, teachers, and parents provide practical support to daycare center directors in managing their centers, help teachers strengthen their capabilities by collaboratively addressing difficult issues through learning communities, and offer children opportunities to make friends through communal play. For parents, these programs provide chances to participate in education and healing activities with parents from other daycare centers, fostering a sense of local solidarity. This model has been adopted by Seoul City as the basis for the Seoul-type Moa Daycare Centers, and the project is currently being expanded to all autonomous districts.

Alongside this, the district has raised the quality of childcare through initiatives to activate preschool classes, including special preparatory lectures for elementary school, operation of daycare centers dedicated to preschoolers, native language classes, coding play activities, and the creation of smart play environments, all of which have increased parental satisfaction.

The ‘Seocho-type Model Daycare Center’ supports private and home daycare centers, which are often overlooked by major public support policies, by providing subsidies for teacher salaries, operating expenses, and facility environment improvements when certain conditions are met. This is the first project of its kind implemented by a local government.

The district has also expanded childcare infrastructure by increasing the supply rate of public daycare centers to 114%, establishing comprehensive childcare support centers and regional childcare support centers to assist childcare and parenting projects. Moreover, Seocho-gu is the only district nationwide to establish a Childcare Promotion Unit that conducts on-site evaluations of daycare centers, provides consulting on personnel, labor, and accounting, and offers specialized training for childcare teachers.

Support for childcare teacher working conditions at the highest level in Seoul, daycare center environment improvement projects, eco-friendly meal subsidies, the creation of the public indoor playground Seoripul Nori School, and the operation of the Nori Bus also contributed to this award recognition.

Mayor Jeon Seong-su stated, "This award is a valuable achievement made possible by the efforts of all childcare workers and parents in Seocho-gu," and added, "We will continue to create a childcare environment where children can grow up happily."