Gov't to establish 550 additional public daycare centers

Children learning at a childcare center in Seoul. Korea Times file

By Kim Hyun-bin

The government plans to build an additional 550 public daycare centers this year, in line with its efforts to boost the country's low birthrate.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare had plans to have public facilities that will accommodate 40 percent of the eligible population by 2022, but will speed up the process by a year to 2021 by increasing the number of new centers around the country from its initial plan of 450, the ministry said, Friday.

This was one of President Moon Jae-in's goals to expand government support for parents and young children.

“In the first year of the long-term general plan for childcare, we have made significant strides in implementing welfare policies including expanding public daycare centers, increasing the number of substitute teachers and installing air purifiers in facilities,” said Kim Sang-hee, deputy director general of childcare at the health ministry.

The plan for the second year aims to get 40 percent of those eligible attending facilities by 2021, as well as promoting more support policies to enhance childcare services, and the employment of more teachers, she added.

These plans are in line with the government's efforts to boost the country's low birthrate.

The rate dropped below one last year reaching a record low 0.98, which is causing concern as the world's fourth largest economy will inevitably face a drastic decline in population in the coming years.

Under the five-year plan, the government will also make it mandatory for businesses with more than 300 full-time employees to set up a daycare center within the company building, the ministry said.

Currently, only companies with over 500 employees or 300 female full-time workers are obligated to have such facilities.

The government will launch a pilot project to extend daycare center hours to better help dual income families. The results of the project will give the government a better picture in allocating additional budgetary spending and employing the necessary teachers, as well as setting childcare fees.

The ministry is working to improve the working conditions at daycare centers by hiring an additional 15,000 teachers and 700 substitute teachers.