Households with two children under 12 to receive priority access to childcare services

Going forward, households with two children under the age of twelve will be recognized as "multi-child households." When these households apply for childcare services, they will be given priority support.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on Monday that the revised Enforcement Rules of the Childcare Support Act, which include this change, will take effect from that day. The childcare service is a program in which a caregiver visits homes with children under twelve to provide care. The service fee is determined based on the household's income level.

Under the revised enforcement rules, the criteria for receiving priority childcare services — previously limited to households with three or more children under the age of 12, or two or more children under the age of 36 months — will now be expanded to include households with two or more children under 12 years old. However, apart from the additional 10 percent reduction in out-of-pocket expenses for households with two or more children (implemented by the ministry last year), there will be no further fee reductions.

Until now, "multi-child households" generally referred to households with three or more children. However, as the declining birthrate has worsened, the definition is gradually being relaxed to include households with two or more children. Starting this year, the criteria for automobile acquisition tax reductions for multi-child households have been expanded from households with three children to those with two. The special housing supply allocation for multi-child households was similarly expanded last year.


조유라 jyr0101@donga.com