Nowon-gu expands after-school child care facilities

By Lee Suh-yoon

Nowon-gu in northeastern Seoul is expanding its after-school child care facilities to help working parents.

The district will pump in 7 billion won ($6.3 million) to create 16 more child care facilities at large apartment complexes and nearby schools this year.

For children with working parents, the centers are a safe place to rest and play before and after school ― providing snacks, meals, or hospital visits in-between ― until 9 p.m.

Oh Seung-rok, head of Nowon-gu Office, says he plans to expand the number of centers to 36 by 2022, thus providing child care for all elementary school students between grades one and three in the district who have working parents.