By Kim Bo-eun
Holt Children's Services (HCS) said Wednesday it will give monetary support to single mothers in order to help them keep their children.
According to the institution, it will set aside 148.8 million won annually that will provide 62 unwed mothers with 200,000 won ($188) monthly, starting this month.
“Through counseling sessions with unmarried mothers, we were able to recognize their need for monetary support,” said Kim Eun-hee, a social worker at the institution.
Recipients will be selected among those who have requested counseling services from the institution and those recommended by local community centers or social welfare organizations.
Mothers who do not receive government support will be prioritized.
The monthly payments will be sent to their accounts for one year.
Holt, until now, has been providing single mothers suffering from financial hardship with diapers and powdered milk.
“Although providing baby products can help the mothers raise their children, it keeps them dependent on the provisions,” said Kim.
“What the mother should ultimately aim for is to stand on her own feet and support her own family. We came to the conclusion that financial support will enable this to happen,” she said.
According to Kim, HCS will first start providing the mothers from existing funds and sustain the program through fund-raising.
The government had been providing 50,000 won monthly, which was raised to 70,000 won this year, but mothers still face enormous hardship in raising their children.
Along with financial difficulties, with the adoption process becoming more stringent since last year, there have been reported cases of mothers abandoning their babies as they lack the means to support them.
A special act on adoption was enacted in August last year, which made court approval necessary for adoption.
It also mandates biological parents to put their child’s birth on the family register so that adopted children can check their birth information later.
“We hope that these provisions will help mothers make the decision to raise their child, instead of resorting to adoption or other drastic measures,” said Kim.