Mental Health Support Vouchers for Siblings of Children with Disabilities... Busan Launches Nation's First Program

Busan Social Service Agency is set to significantly expand its psychological support project for siblings of children with disabilities. Moving beyond a one-time pilot program, the agency will convert the project into a local community service investment voucher initiative, aiming to help non-disabled siblings in care blind spots recover their mental health.

On June 11, Busan Social Service Agency announced that it will implement the "Mental Health Support Project for Siblings (Non-Disabled) of Children with Disabilities," which was piloted last year based on citizen proposals, as a regional voucher program starting this year.

The program targets non-disabled children aged 7 to 13 who have siblings with disabilities. The goal is to provide emotional support and opportunities to build social relationships, thereby easing the psychological burden on siblings who are often marginalized in care structures focused on children with disabilities.

As care within families is concentrated on children with disabilities, their siblings are often pushed aside and may experience emotional isolation or withdrawal. Busan Social Service Agency plans to address these care disparities and establish a support system within the community to foster a healthy growth environment for all children.

This project was expanded in response to high user satisfaction during the pilot phase. Starting this year, by converting it into a community service investment project, a greater number of children will be able to benefit from stable and continuous support.

For the first time nationwide, a "conditional registration standard" has also been introduced. This system evaluates the capabilities of service providers in advance to determine eligibility for registration, ensuring the quality of services. A total of 21 institutions participating in the project were selected after being reviewed for their service plans, staffing, and qualification standards. Among these, six institutions were jointly certified for quality by Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Social Service Agency.

Yoo Kyuwon, President of Busan Social Service Agency, stated, "This project is the starting point for integrated care that embraces not only children with disabilities but their entire families. We will continue to expand user-centered services based on citizen proposals and feedback from the field."