Jeju to Launch Care Allowance for Grandparents Caring for Children Aged 2 to 4
Up to 600,000 Won Per Month Depending on Number of Children
Starting in January next year, Jeju Province will provide a monthly grandchild care allowance of up to 600,000 won to grandparents who look after their grandchildren in order to fill childcare gaps in dual-income households and similar families. By supporting this allowance for grandparents who care for their grandchildren in place of parents, the province aims to ease the childcare burden on families and officially recognize the caregiving role of grandparents as a social value.
For children aged 2 to 4 from households at or below 150% of the median income
On November 7, Jeju Province announced that it is preparing to implement the grandchild care allowance program starting in January next year. The program targets families living in Jeju with children aged 24 to 47 months (under 4 years old) whose household income is at or below 150% of the median, and who have a childcare gap. Eligible families include dual-income, single-parent, disabled-parent, multi-child, and multicultural households.
If a grandparent provides at least 40 hours of care per month (up to 4 hours per day, excluding late-night hours), the allowance will be 300,000 won per month for one child, 450,000 won for two children, and 600,000 won for three children. However, the allowance cannot be combined with hours spent in daycare or with the government’s child care services.
To receive the allowance, grandparents must complete at least four hours of education related to grandchild care. The training will be conducted in the first and second halves of next year and will cover information about the grandchild care allowance program, child abuse prevention, child development, and other topics to strengthen caregiving capabilities.
Caregiving must be verified through time records on a smartphone application for grandparents, and the caregiving situation will be checked one or two times per month through random video calls. If it is found that care has not been provided on three or more occasions, the allowance will be discontinued.
Applications available at eup, myeon, and dong community centers starting January next year
The province has completed administrative procedures such as social security consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and revisions to provincial ordinances, and is currently preparing guidelines detailing specific eligibility criteria, education methods, and monitoring to prevent fraudulent claims.
Once the program is finalized, households wishing to apply can visit their local eup, myeon, or dong community centers starting in January next year to submit their applications. Lee Haeran, Director of Welfare and Family Affairs for Jeju Province, said, "This is a new welfare initiative funded entirely by local government to make Jeju a better place to raise children," and added, "We hope this will provide practical support to the many dual-income families in Jeju."
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