Gyeonggi Province will establish an additional 'At-Risk Pregnant Women Regional Counseling Center (phone 1308)' in Dongducheon, located in the northern part of the province, expanding beyond the existing center in Gwangmyeong.
On June 2, Gyeonggi Province announced that the new center in Dongducheon is being opened to strengthen support for pregnant women experiencing difficulties due to unplanned pregnancies and childbirth. Currently, there is one At-Risk Pregnant Women Regional Counseling Center operated in each city and province nationwide.
The northern Gyeonggi At-Risk Pregnant Women Regional Counseling Center will be located at 'Gyeonggi Angels' Home' (a welfare facility for single-parent families) in Dongducheon and will begin operations on June 4. Four professional counselors will be stationed at the center, providing counseling services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through various channels such as phone, in-person visits, and social networking services (SNS).
In October 2023, Gyeonggi Province established a hotline for at-risk pregnant women at 'Aureum' (a welfare facility for single-parent families) in Gwangmyeong and began offering support to pregnant women facing difficulties due to pregnancy and childbirth.
Subsequently, with the implementation of the Protected Childbirth System in July 2024, the establishment of At-Risk Pregnant Women Regional Counseling Centers became mandatory in each city and province. In response, the province designated and has been operating its 'At-Risk Pregnant Women Hotline' as a Regional Counseling Center.
The At-Risk Pregnant Women Regional Counseling Centers provide a variety of customized services, including: counseling related to pregnancy and childbirth; support for childcare and parenting supplies; connection to child care services and residential protection; linkage to legal and medical support; educational support (alternative schools); and guidance on child protection systems.
Currently, through the Gwangmyeong At-Risk Pregnant Women Regional Counseling Center, Gyeonggi Province has provided counseling to 420 at-risk pregnant women (951 cases) since July of last year, and has supported 13 cases of protected childbirth. The protected childbirth system allows pregnant women who, for various reasons, do not wish to disclose their pregnancy or childbirth to deliver at a medical institution using an alias and a management number instead of a resident registration number, and to complete birth notification procedures.
Yoon Youngmi, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Women and Family Bureau, stated, "For at-risk pregnant women, prompt and detailed counseling and support are most important," and added, "We will continue to strengthen support for at-risk pregnant women in the northern region and provide ongoing assistance to all at-risk pregnant women."
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