Osan City to Provide 400,000 Won in Child-Rearing Allowance to All Children Under Age 7

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Osan City announced on the 31st that it will provide 400,000 won per child in child-rearing allowances to approximately 16,000 children under age 7 within the city to reduce the burden of child-rearing caused by COVID-19.

The required budget totals 6.4 billion won, and child-rearing vouchers will be distributed to all children currently receiving child allowances as of the end of March.

The child-rearing vouchers will be provided as points on the Children's Happy Card or National Happy Card, which are held by over 90% of child allowance recipients, so they can be used like cash.

The city plans to distribute the child-rearing vouchers in a non-face-to-face manner next month, and for those without cards, separate gift cards will be provided through individual guidance.

The child-rearing vouchers can be used at stores throughout Gyeonggi Province, excluding large discount stores, department stores, online shopping malls, large electronics retailers, and entertainment establishments.

The temporary child-rearing support project is being implemented after being reflected in the supplementary budget for COVID-19 response passed by the National Assembly on the 17th. The city expects this support to greatly help revitalize the sluggish local economy.

A city official stated, "We decided on a non-face-to-face distribution method to prevent the spread of COVID-19," and added, "We hope to execute this as quickly as possible to provide some relief to child-rearing households facing economic difficulties due to increased spending on health and sanitary products and emergency childcare needs."