Only 15 Out of 160 Local Governments Meet Child-Rearing Subsidy Standards

Green Umbrella Investigates Foster Care Support in 160 Local Governments
Insufficient Support for Children's Goods Allowance, Child-Rearing Subsidies, and College Entrance Funds Beyond Self-Reliance Settlement Fund

Promotional photo for Child Support Project under the protection of Green Umbrella

There have been criticisms that the level of support provided by local governments for "foster care"?a system in which children who cannot be cared for by their biological families due to parental death or child abuse are protected by foster families?is insufficient.

Green Umbrella, a child welfare organization led by Chairman Hwang Youngki, announced on May 21 the "Status of Foster Care Support in 160 Local Governments Nationwide." The organization pointed out that key support funds for foster children provided by local governments across the country?such as allowances for purchasing children's goods, child-rearing subsidies, and college entrance funds?fall short of the standards recommended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

This conclusion is based on a survey conducted by Green Umbrella, in cooperation with the National Foster Care Support Center Council, on the foster care support status of 160 local governments nationwide from March until recently. According to the survey, all local governments met the 10 million won standard for the self-reliance settlement fund provided upon termination of foster care. However, other types of support varied by region.

First, less than half of the local governments met the government-recommended standard of 1 million won per child for the "children's goods purchase allowance," which is intended as initial support for foster children. The local governments that complied with this standard included Seoul Metropolitan City, all 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, 18 cities and counties in South Gyeongsang Province, Busan Metropolitan City, and Yeongdong County in North Chungcheong Province, totaling 52 locations.

Only 15 local governments?less than 10%?met the standard for "child-rearing subsidies" intended to ensure stable care. These included Seoul Metropolitan City, Incheon Metropolitan City, Sokcho City, Inje City, Pyeongchang County, Cheorwon County, and Yanggu County in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Jecheon City and Goesan County in North Chungcheong Province, Cheonan City in South Chungcheong Province, and Geoje City, Hapcheon County, Changnyeong County, Sancheong County, and Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province. The government currently recommends child-rearing subsidies of 340,000 won for foster children under age 7, 450,000 won for those aged 7 to under 13, and 560,000 won for those aged 13 and older.

In particular, only two local governments?Ulsan Metropolitan City and Okcheon County in North Chungcheong Province?met the recommended standard of 5 million won for "college entrance funds" for foster children.

Green Umbrella believes that the discrepancies among local governments arise because support for foster children is structured as a "recommendation" from the government, rather than a mandate. The organization notes that such regional disparities could lead to differences in the growth and development of foster children. To address this, Green Umbrella is conducting the online campaign "Together, Without Gaps" in recognition of Foster Care Day on May 22.

Through the "Together, Without Gaps" campaign, Green Umbrella plans to advocate for the rights of foster children by calling for: strengthening the national budget responsibility for foster care projects through the return of project funding to the central government; including foster children as beneficiaries in child-rearing support policies; and improving decision-making support systems to address gaps in legal guardianship.

Hwang Youngki, Chairman of Green Umbrella, emphasized, "Children must be guaranteed equal rights without discrimination, regardless of their region, and this principle should also apply to support for foster children. At the national level, we will actively raise our voices to ensure responsible support for foster children and foster families, so that all children can grow up in a warm environment similar to a family."