How Should Parents Fulfill Their Roles?... Nowon-gu Family Center Supports Healthy Family Formation

High Satisfaction with Customized Parental Role Support through Counseling and Education
Diversified Projects: Shared Parenting, Support for Single-Person Households, and Multicultural Family Settlement

Nowon District in Seoul (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is carrying out projects through the Nowon-gu Family Center to help maintain healthy families.

The Nowon-gu Family Center (hereafter referred to as the Center) is a dedicated institution that implements projects considering the structure and characteristics of families in response to rapidly changing social environments. Its main projects include family relationships and care, customized family life programs, multicultural specialization, and support for single-person households and child care.

The most popular flagship program recently has been the "Parental Role Support Project." This initiative, which has been continuously operated since 2018, helps parents effectively fulfill their roles according to different stages of the life cycle. In particular, it encourages the active participation of male caregivers to have a positive impact on overall family life.

So far, approximately 8,000 people from various generations, ranging from prospective parents to parents of infants and middle-aged parents, have participated in the program. The average satisfaction score among participants is 4.7 out of 5. Notably, participants reported consistently positive changes in parenting self-efficacy, communication improvement, and the performance and participation of fathers in their roles.

Parents who participated in the program last year said, "Receiving customized parenting methods amidst an overwhelming amount of childcare information felt like getting a prescription for parenting," and "It provided an opportunity to newly recognize the role of parents."

Based on years of accumulated know-how, the Center plans to further expand the Parental Role Support Project. The plan is to enhance effectiveness not only through parenting education but also by organically linking it with other programs offered by the Center, such as individual, family, and group counseling.

In addition, in the second half of this year, the Center will conduct a needs assessment among district residents to develop customized programs. This is to help residents maintain stable and healthy family lives.

Beyond education and counseling, the Center also operates projects such as shared parenting spaces, child care services, and support for the settlement of multicultural families, taking the lead in creating a parenting-friendly environment. The Center is currently managed by the Samyook Foundation, a social welfare foundation, and is located in Gongneung-dong. Most programs are held in the Center's education and program rooms, but online counseling and events at other community spaces in the area, such as the Junggye Onmaeul Center, have also been offered to improve accessibility.

Any resident of Nowon District can use the Center. Most programs are free, except for fees such as exam fees for certification programs.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, "As society changes, so do the forms of families and the roles and concerns required of family members," adding, "We will continue to provide specialized programs tailored to everyone seeking a better family life."