Establishment of National Certification for Childcare Workers
Registration System for Private Childcare Providers
Criminal Background Checks Now Possible for Care Personnel
The Childcare Support Act, which establishes the basis for managing and supporting private childcare services that were previously outside the formal system, has passed the National Assembly. Dual-income parents, who had to turn to private care due to the long waiting times for public care with high demand, will now receive assistance.
According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the 3rd, the amendment to the Childcare Support Act containing these provisions was passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 2nd. The bill includes ▲ the establishment of a national qualification system for childcare workers ▲ the introduction of a registration system for private childcare service providers ▲ and the basis for criminal background checks on care personnel working at registered institutions.
The national qualification system is a system where the Minister of Gender Equality and Family issues childcare worker certificates to individuals who have completed a standardized curriculum and passed a personality and aptitude test. With the introduction of this system, qualified professional care workers will be able to work not only in the public sector but also in the private sector. The registration system for private service providers allows private childcare companies that meet certain legal requirements to register with the government. Registered private childcare companies can request criminal background checks on their care personnel from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The ministry explained, "A public management system will now be established for private childcare helpers, who had previously been in a legislative blind spot."
Although the government has provided public childcare services, the long waiting times due to high demand have been pointed out as a problem. Because of this, parents have turned to private care, but despite the large size of the private care market, there were concerns about low reliability due to difficulties in verifying the identities of caregivers. The amendment to the Childcare Support Act aims to improve these issues by strengthening the public management system and public nature of private care providers.
Last year, 10,000 people participated in a signature campaign supporting the amendment to the Childcare Support Act. Kim, a dual-income parent from Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, said, "During times when care is really needed, due to staff shortages in public care, we had to wait indefinitely before being assigned, so we ended up using private care services. However, with private companies and individual caregivers, we had no choice but to fully trust the caregivers despite risks of exposing our living spaces and children's information." He added, "The current care services need many improvements." Park, a resident of Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk Province, said, "The waiting time for (public) childcare is longer than parental leave," and pleaded, "Please pass the law amendment quickly."
Following the bill's passage, the private childcare industry expressed welcoming voices. The Korea Childcare Association said, "The passage of the Childcare Support Act amendment will be an important turning point in resolving the care gaps that have been institutionally insufficient and in establishing a systematic childcare system," adding, "It is expected to practically expand the public nature of care and serve as an effective solution to overcome low birth rates and childcare crises."
The amendment to the Childcare Support Act is scheduled to be implemented one year after its promulgation. During this period, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to establish the operational system for the childcare worker qualification management system and detailed registration criteria for private childcare companies.
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