'2025 Childcare Program Guide' Policy Revision
Mandatory Hiring Criteria Changed for Operating Expense Support
Extension of Special Period for Directors Serving as Childcare Teachers
Relaxed Wage Support Criteria Extended for This Year
As the number of children in daycare centers decreases, the Ministry of Education will revise guidelines to allow flexible class size arrangements when merging or consolidating daycare classes. Additionally, to alleviate operational difficulties in daycare centers, the relaxed criteria for childcare teacher wage support in toddler classes, which were temporarily applied last year, will be extended this year as well.
On the 2nd, the Ministry of Education announced the implementation of the revised '2025 Childcare Business Guide' guidelines. The Childcare Business Guide contains comprehensive information on the operation and management of daycare centers as well as an overview of the daycare system. The Ministry collected opinions from 17 metropolitan and provincial offices and related organizations between August and September last year and held meetings for discussions from November to December.
First, when children leave and existing classes are merged, flexible class size arrangements will be allowed within the total capacity of the daycare center. Previously, even when classes were organized by younger age groups, mixed-age flexible arrangements were not permitted, but now they will be allowed.
For daycare centers supported by institutional childcare fees with a capacity of 21 to 39 children but currently having 11 to 20 enrolled children, the special provision allowing the director to concurrently serve as a childcare teacher will be extended until February 2026. The Ministry explained, "Considering the current low enrollment rates in most institutions making daycare center operations difficult, extending the special provision period is expected to reduce employment burdens and secure operational stability for daycare centers."
Furthermore, when supporting Nuri operation expenses, the standard for the mandatory number of Nuri assistant teachers to be hired has been changed from 'number of organized classes' to 'number of enrolled children.' This change reflects the fact that even with the same number of classes, the number of enrolled children varies by institution depending on the class capacity fulfillment rate.
Also, the relaxed criteria for childcare teacher wage support in toddler classes, which were temporarily applied last year, will be extended this year. Accordingly, if the number of enrolled children meets the criteria?6 or more in 3-year-old classes and 8 or more in classes for 4 years and older?childcare teacher wage support will continue to be provided this year.
The conditions for immediate access to closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage will be revised to require both the submission of a medical opinion and accompaniment by a related public official, instead of either condition alone.
The 2025 Childcare Business Guide will be distributed to local governments and related organizations in January next year and will also be available on the Ministry of Education’s website.
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