"Contradicting the Government's Free Childcare Policy"
Despite Sejong City’s commitment to being a child-friendly city, there have been calls to address the current situation in which, unlike neighboring cities, parents are required to cover the full amount of necessary expenses for daycare centers.
On June 23, Nayoung Hong, a member of the Sejong City Council, stated during a five-minute free speech session, "The government is emphasizing the responsibility of both the national and local governments for education and childcare to overcome the low birth rate, and is strengthening support for early childhood education and care." She added, "The government is also continuously pursuing the integration of early childhood education and childcare, known as 'Yubotonghap.'
She explained that a common curriculum for kindergartens and daycare centers, called the 'Nuri Curriculum,' is being implemented to provide equal educational opportunities for young children and to reduce the financial burden on parents.
Hong pointed out, "Although the government’s plan is to overcome the low birth rate by reducing child-rearing costs through the realization of free childcare, parents of young children in Sejong City are, unlike those in other local governments, required to pay the full amount of 'necessary daycare center expenses.'
According to Hong, necessary daycare center expenses refer to out-of-pocket costs for items not covered by government and local government subsidies, such as the purchase of supplies, special activities, and field trips. She stated that these necessary expenses typically amount to between 120,000 and 190,000 won per month per daycare center, resulting in an annual expenditure of around 2 million won per child, which is a significant burden for parents.
Therefore, since most local governments nationwide, including Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, allocate budgets to cover necessary daycare center expenses to help reduce the financial burden on parents, Hong argued that Sejong City should also provide such support.
In fact, according to Hong’s investigation, there is currently no support for necessary daycare center expenses in Sejong City. Parents are required to pay for field trip fees, experiential activity fees, and event fees themselves. As a result, citizens with young children feel a significant financial burden, even under the government’s policy of fully free childcare, because they must pay these necessary daycare center expenses out of pocket.
Hong stated, "Through on-site interviews with daycare center staff and parents, I have confirmed the need for support for these necessary expenses. The issue is not only the increased burden on parents. There is also feedback from the field that unnecessary administrative work increases, making it easier for daycare centers to neglect their primary mission of providing care."
She emphasized, "At the very least, the current situation, in which parents in Sejong City must pay additional necessary daycare center expenses that parents in other regions do not, must be improved to align with the government’s intention of free childcare. Although Sejong is behind other local governments in this regard, it is essential to promptly revise the relevant ordinances to establish regulations for supporting necessary daycare center expenses."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
