Building Integrated Infrastructure for Childcare, Education, and Care
Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul (Mayor Choi Hokwon) has officially been recognized as a "child-friendly city" after receiving the Prime Minister's Commendation in the field of childcare for the first time.
The district announced on the 22nd that it had received the Prime Minister's Commendation in the local government category at the "2025 Government Awards for Excellence in Childcare," organized by the Ministry of Education. This marks the first time Yeongdeungpo District has received a government award in the childcare sector, making it especially meaningful as its overall childcare policies have now been officially recognized at the national level.
Yeongdeungpo District is taking a commemorative photo after receiving the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Childcare on the 18th. In the center is Ho-kwon Choi, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District. Provided by Yeongdeungpo District.
The Government Award for Excellence in Childcare is presented to staff, institutions, and local governments that have contributed to the development of childcare services. Yeongdeungpo District received high marks across five areas: contribution to the establishment and implementation of government childcare policies, unique local government initiatives, improvement of working conditions for childcare teachers, safety management at daycare centers, and examples of improvements in childcare systems.
The district attributed this achievement to its Yeongdeungpo-style public childcare model, which aims to achieve "ZERO Gaps in Childcare." In close cooperation with the central government and Seoul Metropolitan Government, the district increased the number of public daycare centers from 71 to 86, thereby alleviating the waiting list for admission. It also established kids' cafes, toy libraries, and shared parenting spaces to bridge gaps in play and cultural environments for children and to ease the caregiving burden on families.
In particular, the "Singil Family Happiness Town" project, which integrates childcare, education, and care functions in one space, has drawn attention as the first joint initiative between a Seoul district and the Office of Education. It is regarded as an integrated care model linking district-run daycare centers and kindergartens, a comprehensive childcare support center, a toy library, and a kids' cafe.
The district also strengthened gap-filling childcare services in response to changes in the childcare environment. It expanded 365-day daycare centers, weekend daycare centers, and part-time care rooms to address gaps in care. Reflecting the area's high proportion of multicultural families, the district increased the number of multicultural integrated daycare centers and operates customized language and emotional support programs, as well as parent education programs.
Improving the treatment of childcare staff was also cited as a reason for the award. The district extended long-term service allowances for childcare teachers to include workplace daycare centers and increased support for allowances for directors of private and home-based daycare centers, thereby enhancing staff satisfaction. These efforts were accompanied by improvements to daycare center environments, provision of subsidies for high-quality food ingredients, and operation of psychological counseling programs for infants, caregivers, and childcare staff.
Mayor Choi Hokwon stated, "This award is a meaningful result achieved through the dedication of childcare workers and parents on the ground," and added, "We will continue to build Yeongdeungpo as a child-friendly and happy city through childcare policies that firmly support the lives of children and families."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
