Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) will provide a total of 459 million won this year to the 26 childrearing communities it has selected and where villagers jointly grow and take care of children.
The SMG recently inspected the 26 communities and found them to be armed with stable business infrastructure including caring spaces and membership base. They have various alternative childrearing models catering to the local living conditions and characteristics, implementing social care wherein the villagers share the burden and jointly give care to children. They are materializing new childrearing models through various programs including ecological experience and family camps at the same time providing parents with communities and caring spaces by operating communal child care rooms and cafes. Additionally, they are providing temporary childcare service for low-income families, multicultural families, and families wherein both parents engage in vocational activities.
In this regard, the joint childrearing assistance program that started last year was found to be spreading the communal childcare culture as a new childrearing method and contributing to the galvanization of communities for childcare as the program is gradually producing tangible outcomes. Above all, with villagers jointly giving care to and supporting children, the program is laying the foundation to have our children overcome competition as well as the inequitable environment and grow into persons with warm personality and mutual respect.
The SMG judges that, in order for community childrearing facilities to take root and spread further, they should secure self-sustainability above all else so that they can operate on their own even without external assistance. Accordingly, the city is providing diverse forms of assistance to enable communities to develop sustainable business systems in accordance with the characteristics and conditions of the respective villages, by providing customized consulting and various education opportunities.
’13 Exemplary Models
① Saemaeul Undong (The New Village Movement) Geumcheon Branch (Geumcheon-gu)
Shiheung 4-dong offers village community childcare service.
② Nature Hill Apartment, Onsemiro (Seocho-gu)
– Galvanization of joint childrearing clubs, care giving to village infants and young children
③ Jungang Heights Hope Guardian (Geumcheon-gu)
– Children growing together with hope
④ Joint Childrearing Project by Moms in the Neighborhood (Gangbuk-gu)
– Establishment of Dotori (acorn) joint childrearing childcare center
⑤ Ecological Childrearing, Community Forest Children’s Playground (Eunpyeong-gu)
Walk through the village on a rainy day
⑥ Beautiful Village Community – “Moms’ Café (Dongjak-gu)