Gyeonggi Province to Strengthen 'Gyeonggi-style Child Care' Implementation Through 2030

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gapdong] Gyeonggi Province will strengthen the implementation of 'Gyeonggi-style child care' through 2030, including family care allowances and care program support.

The province announced on the 16th that it has established the 'Second Gyeonggi Province Child Policy Basic Plan (2026-2030),' which will form the backbone of child policy over the next five years to create an environment where children can grow safely and happily.

The basic plan was prepared to proactively and actively respond to rapidly changing social environmental changes, including deepening low birth rates, acceleration of the digital environment, and gaps in child care. In particular, while reflecting the direction of the Third Child Policy Basic Plan (2025-2029) announced by related government ministries in December last year, it emphasizes the 'expansion of Gyeonggi-style child care.'

The Second Basic Plan will pursue the realization of the vision of 'Gyeonggi Province full of happy children' by implementing 160 projects across 27 departments within the province based on 4 implementation strategies and 12 policy tasks. The required budget over five years is approximately 20.4952 trillion won, with both detailed projects and budget increased compared to the First Plan (103 projects, 7 trillion won).

The four implementation strategies are △support for healthy growth and development of children △strengthening responsibility for vulnerable and protected children △expansion of Gyeonggi-style child care △creating an environment for child participation and respect for rights.

'Support for healthy growth and development of children' includes a total of 52 related projects such as allowance support for reducing child-rearing burden, creation of a child-rearing-friendly environment through reduced working hours, nutritious agricultural product meal support, elementary student dental home care programs, and youth learning coaching.

To 'strengthen responsibility for vulnerable and protected children,' a total of 71 projects will be implemented, including prevention of and facility support for child abuse, activation of adoption and foster care for children in need of protection, support for single-parent and multicultural families, and self-reliance settlement funds.

'Expansion of Gyeonggi-style child care' aims to ease care burden and establish an emergency care system. Centered on 'Children Anytime Care,' which Gyeonggi Province currently operates, a total of 30 projects will be implemented, including Gyeonggi Province's unique projects such as family care allowances and child care opportunity income.

'Creating an environment for child participation and respect for rights' will implement 7 projects, including support for creating child-friendly cities, operation of youth parliamentary classrooms, and operation of 'Mama A+ Playground,' a digital convergence play care space.

Oh Myeong-suk, director of the Provincial Child Care Division, said, "The Second Child Policy Basic Plan strived to reflect Gyeonggi Province's regional characteristics and child-centered policies," and "As we enter the 9th term of the civil administration, we will do our best to further activate child policy so that Gyeonggi Province becomes full of happy children."