Gimpo City Opens Gyeonggi Province's First Child Development Support Center

Gimpo City Holds Opening Ceremony with Parents and Children
Located on the 2nd Floor of Unyang-dong Administrative Welfare Center... Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Mayor Kim Byungsoo: "We expect to support children's healthy growth without needing to travel to Seoul"

Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Byungsoo) opened the Gimpo City Child Development Support Center on June 24. This is the first center in Gyeonggi Province to provide a one-stop service ranging from early diagnosis of infant and toddler development to counseling and treatment linkage. With the opening of this Child Development Support Center, the city aims to further solidify its status as a leading city for childbirth and child-rearing, supporting everything from child development to childcare and education.

Kim Byungsoo, mayor of Gimpo City, delivered a greeting at the opening ceremony of the Gimpo City Child Development Support Center on the 24th, the first in Gyeonggi Province to provide a one-stop service from early diagnosis of infant and toddler development status to counseling and treatment linkage. Photo by Gimpo City

To mark the occasion, an opening ceremony was held on June 24 in front of the Unyang-dong Administrative Welfare Center. The event was attended by Mayor Kim Byungsoo, the chairperson of the Gimpo City Council, heads of related organizations and groups, as well as about 50 parents and children. The ceremony included pre-event parent education, a promotional video, a commemorative speech by the mayor, a hope performance, and an unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Jang Jaejin, a professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at Woosong University, delivered a lecture on the theme "Every child grows at their own pace" for the parent education session, which was met with an enthusiastic response from parents.

In particular, the hope performance drew attention as many infants, toddlers, and parents from the local area participated. During the performance, children declared their intention to "become people with upright character and creativity," followed by adults reading a joint declaration in response.

Mayor Kim Byungsoo stated, "Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of infants and toddlers under the age of five experiencing developmental delays has increased every year. Gimpo City has opened the Child Development Support Center to serve as a practical and reliable partner that can help address and support the health of our children. Now, families will no longer need to travel to Seoul, as they can receive support for their children's healthy development right here in Gimpo. We will continue to strive to become the best city for childbirth and child-rearing, supporting everything from infant and toddler development to childcare and education."

A resident, referred to as Ms. A (living in Geolpo-dong), shared her congratulations, saying, "While raising a child, there are many moments when I worry over even the smallest things and wonder if I am being too sensitive as a parent. With the opening of the Gimpo City Child Development Support Center, I feel reassured that these concerns can now be addressed."

Meanwhile, the Child Development Support Center, located on the second floor of the Unyang-dong Administrative Welfare Center, is equipped with counseling rooms, a monitoring room, and a development playroom. It will serve as a comprehensive one-stop hub for supporting infant and toddler development, offering early diagnosis, counseling, customized development programs, treatment linkage, and parent education. The center operates Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.