Strengthening Management of 118,000 Grandparent-Grandchild Families
Linking Regional Information Centered on Family Centers
Conducting Actual Condition Surveys Every 3 Years to Identify Youth
Including Grandparent-Grandchild Families in Public Rental Support Expansion
The government will expand support for grandparent-grandchild families, where grandparents and grandchildren live together, to strengthen welfare for various family types. A survey on the actual conditions of grandparent-grandchild families will be conducted to understand the current situation, and information on these families will be linked with family centers to enhance management.
On the 26th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho held the 10th Social Relations Ministers' Meeting at the Government Seoul Office and presented four agenda items, including the "Support Plan for Stable Childcare and Growth of Grandparent-Grandchild Families."
Currently, there are approximately 118,000 grandparent-grandchild households composed of grandparents and unmarried grandchildren, of which 38.1% have minor grandchildren. The government plans to include a survey and support measures for grandparent-grandchild families in its national agenda to identify and support family types that may be excluded from policy support.
According to the government survey, 53.4% of grandparent-grandchild families are recipients of basic living security, and due to economic instability and poor housing conditions, they are in vulnerable environments for childcare. Additionally, although grandparents actually take responsibility for raising and protecting the children, there is a limitation in receiving policy support because they do not hold legal guardian status.
The government announced that it will link information on grandparent-grandchild families to family centers within the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to prevent their exclusion. Through community councils centered on family centers, the government aims to actively identify grandparent-grandchild families in local areas. To this end, a focused period for identifying vulnerable and crisis grandparent-grandchild families in the community will be operated in the second half of next year, and outreach family center operations will be revitalized.
In addition, together with Statistics Korea, a survey on grandparent-grandchild families will be conducted regularly every three years starting in 2027. The status of young people providing family care will also be identified in connection with the Population and Housing Census.
Furthermore, as public rental housing support for the elderly expands from 1,000 to about 3,000 households, opportunities for grandparent-grandchild families to move in will also increase. From next year, the emergency welfare living support payment increase and the relaxation of income and property criteria will include grandparent-grandchild families. There are also plans to improve welfare facilities for single-parent families to allow grandparent-grandchild families to enter.
Moreover, support for customized elderly care services will be strengthened for elderly people in need of care, including grandparent households. Legal service support will also be increased, such as designation of grandparents as minor guardians, legal consultations and litigation support related to debt inheritance waiver and limited approval by minor grandchildren’s parents.
Among the recipients of child-rearing support, grandparent-grandchild families who were excluded due to the income of the biological parents will be exceptionally included if the biological parents do not actually provide support.
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