Mayor Kim Dong-geun: "We Will Create a Safe Care Environment for Raising Children"

Uijeongbu City Establishes '2025 Population Policy and Childcare Project Implementation Plan'
Uijeongbu, Where Children Are Happy: Creating a Reliable Parenting and Childcare Environment Together
Building a Comprehensive Support System... Uijeongbu City to Provide Childbirth Incentives Starting with the First Child
Strengthening the Role of the Childcare Comprehensive Support Center as a Bridge Between Daycare Centers and Home Childcare

Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Dong-geun) has announced a new childcare policy aimed at creating a city where both children and parents are happy. The city has established the '2025 Population Policy and Childcare Project Implementation Plan' with the vision of 'Uijeongbu where children are happy, a reliable childbirth and childcare system raised together,' taking proactive measures in response to the low birthrate era.

Kim Dong-geun, the mayor, attending the opening ceremony of Everyone's Playground Minrak Branch 1. Provided by Uijeongbu City

According to Uijeongbu City on the 10th, as of December 2024, the number of infants and young children in Uijeongbu is 17,811, which is decreasing every year. However, due to the increase in dual-income households and changes in family structures, the demand for childcare is actually rising.

Uijeongbu City has positioned demand-centered customized childcare as a core strategy to respond to the changed parenting environment.

This year, the city plans to proactively respond to demand-centered customized childcare needs through major projects such as expanding childbirth incentives, expanding and relocating the Uijeongbu Childcare Comprehensive Support Center and Everyone's Playground, operating daycare centers 24 hours a day, and expanding two public daycare centers.

In December last year, Uijeongbu City partially amended the 'Uijeongbu City Childbirth Incentive Support Ordinance' to provide a childbirth incentive of 300,000 KRW for the first child born after January 1, 2025, while continuing to provide 1,000,000 KRW for the second child and beyond.

Along with this, the city is working hard to encourage childbirth and create a child-friendly environment through various systems such as the First Meeting Voucher worth 2 to 3 million KRW, a monthly parent allowance of up to 1 million KRW, and monthly childcare and child allowances of 100,000 to 200,000 KRW.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun is attending the 'Lotte mom 3rd Branch Opening Ceremony' and posing for a commemorative photo. Provided by Uijeongbu City

The Uijeongbu Childcare Comprehensive Support Center is promoting both home childcare support projects and daycare center support projects in line with the city's childcare vision. The center offers parent-child experience programs, language and play therapy, toy and book rentals, as well as education for childcare staff.

The home childcare support project operates programs such as ▲ parent-child experience programs ▲ parenting counseling ▲ language and play therapy ▲ family events ▲ toy and book rentals ▲ parent education to support the holistic development of infants and young children and alleviate parental childcare stress.

The daycare center support project conducts ▲ substitute teacher support ▲ daycare center consulting ▲ childcare staff education ▲ child abuse prevention programs to ensure stable daycare center operations and strengthen the capabilities of childcare staff.

Last October, the center expanded and relocated to the 1st and 2nd floors of Minrak National Sports Center, establishing itself as a hub space where childcare and sports are integrated through organic linkage between childcare support facilities and sports facilities.

The newly created space includes childcare rooms, Daom Playground, a large auditorium, and a communication room, contributing to the realization of healthy infants and young children, trusted daycare centers, and happy families by providing demand-centered customized services.

Uijeongbu City will expand the operation of 'Everyone's Playground' to three locations this year. In particular, the Minrak 1st branch includes an English playroom and AR experience content, providing children with opportunities to naturally become familiar with English.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun is delivering a greeting at the opening ceremony of the Dahamkke Care Center Branch No. 8. Provided by Uijeongbu City

The newly opening Lotte mom 3rd branch is a public-private cooperative model, offering a space where children can freely play indoors without economic burden. This facility was created through the Lotte Group's social contribution public contest project and is scheduled to begin full operation in May after passing the usage inspection.

Uijeongbu City designates the 'Anytime Daycare Center' operating 24 hours to provide emergency childcare services so that infants and young children can be safely entrusted at any time in urgent care situations. The service is available for infants aged 6 months to 7 years before school enrollment, with a usage fee of 3,000 KRW per hour.

Regardless of daycare enrollment status, age restrictions, or usage time, the service can be flexibly used in emergencies, which is expected to practically help resolve childcare blind spots.

To create a safe childcare environment that parents can trust, Uijeongbu City conducts personality and aptitude tests when hiring public daycare teachers to verify their qualifications before employment. To this end, the city signed a business agreement on January 23 with the Uijeongbu City Daycare Center Association's public sector division and Jungang Education Alzzadotcom Co., Ltd.

Two new public daycare centers will be established in newly built apartment complexes. With a total of 49 public daycare centers, it is expected that more children will be able to access public childcare services nearby.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun (center) is signing a business agreement for conducting aptitude tests for public daycare center childcare teachers. Provided by Uijeongbu City

Uijeongbu City hopes that childbirth and childcare will become not a choice but a 'shared daily life,' and that the city's changes will lead to more children's smiles in the future.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun emphasized, "Uijeongbu City is striving to create a childbirth and childcare environment where parents can raise children with peace of mind in response to the low birthrate. We will realize a childcare environment where parents feel more secure, teachers find more fulfillment, and children are happier."