Only 8 in Seoul... Seongdong District to Open Specialized Daycare Center for Children with Disabilities

Conversion of Seongmo Daycare Center to a Specialized Facility
First New Center in 15 Years Raises Hopes for Easing Long Commutes

Seongdong District in Seoul has taken the initiative to expand specialized childcare facilities for children with disabilities, a sector that had seen no progress for 15 years. On December 22, Seongdong District (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that, starting in March next year, the district-run Seongmo Daycare Center will be converted into a “specialized daycare center for children with disabilities.” This marks the first new designation of such a center in Seoul in 15 years, since 2011.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong District, delivering a greeting at the opening ceremony of the Hangdang La Cherveau Public Daycare Center last month. Provided by Seongdong District.

According to childcare statistics from the Ministry of Education, as of December this year, there are 177 specialized daycare centers for children with disabilities nationwide, but only eight are located in Seoul. This means that in Seoul, a metropolis with a population of ten million, facilities dedicated to the care of children with disabilities are extremely scarce.

As a result, parents of children with disabilities have been forced into childcare blind spots, enduring long commutes from early morning hours. In fact, children with disabilities commute to Seongmo Daycare Center in Seongdong District not only from within Seongdong, but also from neighboring districts such as Jung-gu and Dongdaemun-gu, as well as from more distant areas.

While the number of children with disabilities increases each year, the number of specialized childcare facilities has remained stagnant, further exacerbating the problem. The fact that not a single specialized daycare center for children with disabilities has been newly established in Seoul over the past 15 years is a clear example of administrative indifference toward disability childcare.

Seongdong District decided to convert the district-run Seongmo Daycare Center, which has been operated by the Seongmo Sacred Heart Sisters Foundation since 1994, into a specialized facility for children with disabilities and has begun improving the facility. Construction is underway to widen accessible entrances, install sloped flooring, add tactile braille signage, and install tactile paving blocks, so that more children with disabilities can be accommodated.

This designation is drawing particular attention as it coincides with the planned opening of a new public special school (tentatively named Seongjin School) in Seongsu-dong in 2029. With the establishment of a regionally based educational system for children with disabilities, spanning from early childhood to school age, continuous support can be provided at each stage of development.

Along with the designation of the specialized daycare center, Seongdong District is also working to improve the quality of childcare services. For the first time among Seoul’s districts, it has introduced the “dedicated daycare nurse program,” providing infant and toddler health management services at least twice a year. Additionally, through the “Seongdong-style teacher-to-child ratio program,” the district has reduced the number of children assigned to each teacher below the legal standard, creating a safer childcare environment.

Mayor Jung Won-oh stated, “With the designation of Seongdong District’s first specialized daycare center for children with disabilities, these children will be able to receive more professional and attentive care in a stable environment. Going forward, Seongdong District will continue to expand inclusive childcare policies that can be felt by infants, guardians, and socially disadvantaged groups alike.”