Gyeonggi Province is expanding the emergency childcare facility “Eonjena Daycare,” which operates 24/7, 365 days a year, allowing parents to safely leave their infants and young children anytime by paying 3,000 KRW per hour during temporary or urgent situations, from 5 locations to 11 locations.
On March 31, Gyeonggi Province announced that on April 1, it will open Eonjena Daycare centers in six locations across five areas: Goyang City (Goyang City Rose Daycare), Ansan City (City Baby Star Daycare), Anyang City (Sinchon Daycare, Hyupsim Daycare), Uijeongbu City (Minrak Sarang Daycare), and Pocheon City (Pocheon Daycare).
With this expansion, the total number of Eonjena Daycare centers in the province has increased to 11 locations across 10 areas, including those opened last June in Bucheon City (Aram Daycare), Namyangju City (City Hills Park Daycare), Gimpo City (City Geumbit Haneul Daycare), Hanam City (City Happiness Moa Daycare), and Icheon City (Icheon City 24-Hour Childcare Center “Aidabom”).
Eonjena Daycare is available for infants and young children aged 6 months to under 7 years who reside in the province and are not yet in school. Parents can leave their children regardless of whether they are raising them at home, attending daycare or kindergarten, or living in a different area.
Families in need of childcare can inquire or apply by calling the Children’s Eonjena Care Center (010-9979-7722) or any of the 11 Eonjena Daycare centers before 3 PM on the day of use. However, for nighttime or early morning care, reservations must be made by 6 PM the day before.
The service operates 24 hours from 7:30 AM to 7:30 AM the following day. One reservation allows for continuous use of up to 5 days.
Parents must bring an ID card and a resident registration certificate or family relation certificate verifying their relationship with the child (foreigners must provide a certificate of foreign registration), and individually prepare necessary items for their child such as diapers, personal bedding, extra clothes, and snacks.
Ko Hyun-sook, Director of Childcare Policy at Gyeonggi Province, said, “We are pleased to provide an environment where children can be safely entrusted anytime through the expanded operation of Eonjena Daycare. We will continue to implement childcare policies to reduce the childcare burden on families and create a better childcare environment.”
Meanwhile, last year, about 3,580 children used Eonjena Daycare, and a satisfaction survey showed that 94.8% of users were satisfied with the service. The survey also revealed that the program played an important role in alleviating childcare burdens and filling care gaps, especially receiving strong support from parents struggling with nighttime and weekend work.
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