Gyeonggi Province to Offer Country's First 'Gyeonggi-Type Family Care Allowance'...Applications Begin June 3

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province is launching the country's first 'Gyeonggi-Type Family Care Allowance' for care assistants in families with childcare gaps.

The province announced on the 20th that it will provide the 'Gyeonggi-Type Family Care Allowance' of 300,000 to 600,000 won per month depending on the number of children cared for to relatives within the fourth degree or neighborhood residents who care for children between 24 and 48 months old, and will begin accepting applications by the 3rd of next month.

The 'Gyeonggi-Type Family Care Allowance' is one of Gyeonggi Province's flagship welfare policy series '360° Care Always Available' and is an implementation of an agenda discussed at the Population Talk Committee in December last year. Supporting childcare allowances not only to relatives but also to social families (neighborhood residents) is a country's first for the 'Gyeonggi-Type Family Care Allowance'.

The project targets South Korean nationals residing in 13 cities and counties including Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Gwangmyeong, Gunpo, Hanam, Guri, Anseong, Pocheon, Yeoju, Dongducheon, Gwacheon, Gapyeong, and Yeoncheon where prior consultations were held. Caregivers (parents, etc.) and children (24 to 48 months old) must be registered as Gyeonggi Province residents, and families must have childcare gaps such as dual-income households, with no income restrictions.

Care assistants receiving childcare allowances who are relatives within the fourth degree may reside in other local jurisdictions, but neighborhood residents as social family members must reside in the same eup, myeon, or dong as the target child and must be Gyeonggi Province residents who have lived in the same eup, myeon, or dong for at least one year.

Once selected as care assistants, before conducting childcare activities, they must register with the 'Gyeonggi Lifelong Learning Portal (GEEK)' and complete mandatory training in child safety, child abuse prevention, and fraud prevention.

Care assistants must provide 40 hours or more of childcare per month. For one child, they receive 300,000 won per month; for two children, 450,000 won; and for three children, 600,000 won. For four or more children, restrictions are imposed to ensure two or more care assistants provide attentive care.

The application period runs from June 3 this year until November 10 or when the budget is exhausted. Caregivers applying on behalf of parents must obtain a power of attorney from the care assistant and apply collectively at the 'Gyeonggi Civics 24' website (http://gg24.gg.go.kr).

The province expects this project to respect the social value of child-rearing and alleviate parents' childcare burdens while fostering a more stable childcare environment.

Kim Mi-sung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Women and Family Division, said, "Through this project, we anticipate respect for the social value of child-rearing and alleviation of parental childcare burdens," and added, "We will work to lay the groundwork for creating a better environment for raising children by alleviating childcare burdens in families experiencing childcare gaps due to dual-income households, multiple children, and other factors."