Free childcare for low income families next year

Beginning next year, low-income housewives who go to offices or work, as a sideline will be able to put their children into national or public childcare facilities free of charge. Also the number of childcare facilities for disabled children will be increased.

To solve the problem that a growing number of women who go to work or engage in economic activities fail to take care of their children properly owing to the shortage of national, public and private childcare facilities, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday that it would map out a childcare development plan for the 21st century. Implementation of the plan would begin next year after revisions to the law concerning the care of infants and children.

Under the blueprint, the government will expand the number of persons eligible for free childcare, which now applies to children aged five or below from low income families in agricultural or fishery villages, to those in small- and medium-sized and large cities.

The function of national and public childcare facilities will be altered so that it is different from that of private facilities by placing a priority on 24-hour operations and the care of handicapped children and infants less than three years old. The government will also extend subsidies to private childcare facilities for their operational expenses, in addition to the present subsidy of about one million won per year for the purchase of teaching materials and equipment.

Song Sang-Keun songmoon@donga.com