特集 {Suwon City Endeavors-7} Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone)

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] No matter how seamlessly welfare systems are designed, there remain gaps in care coverage. Suwon Special City has prepared an integrated care initiative where community organizations take the lead in discovering neighbors in need of care and addressing care gaps. The result is the Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) program.

Suwon Saebbit Care is a policy that provides customized integrated care services to all citizens in need of care. It is a carefully designed care policy enabling anyone who needs assistance but falls outside existing care service systems to receive care.

Addressing Care Gaps... Establishing Itself as a Life-Oriented Care Policy

Starting in July 2023, pilot operations began in 8 districts, and were expanded to all 44 districts beginning January 2024. As the Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) program enters its fourth year of operation, it has established itself as a life-oriented care policy while playing a significant role in addressing care gaps.

At launch, the program provided 11 types of services across 4 major categories: home-based care, accompaniment support, psychological counseling, and temporary protection. However, services continue to expand. Currently, the program has expanded to 16 types of services across 8 major categories: daily living care, commute care, residential safety, meal support, temporary protection, rehabilitation care, psychological counseling, and visiting medical care.

The program provides services that are practically helpful to citizens in need of care, including housekeeping assistance, hospital accompaniment, consumable replacement and minor repairs, deep cleaning, regular meals and porridge provision, temporary protection, customized exercise rehabilitation, and counseling for adults, children, and youth. It encompasses support for daily living as well as health and emotional care.

Significantly Expanding Eligibility Criteria and Support Limits for Saebbit Care Services

The city has significantly expanded the eligibility criteria and support limits for Saebbit Care services starting in 2025 to ensure all citizens can use them. The program name has also been changed to 'Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone)'.

The eligibility criteria for care service cost support has been raised from households at 75% of median income to 120% of median income, and the annual support amount per person has increased from 1 million won to 1.5 million won. Support for national merit honorees covers all costs regardless of income.

Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) services continue to expand. Last July, the resident-proposed 'Elementary Lower Grade Commute Care Service' began pilot operations in 10 districts and was expanded to all 44 districts in November.

The elementary lower grade commute care service, initiated by resident proposals, is provided when guardians of first and second grade elementary school children unexpectedly face circumstances making it difficult to accompany their children to and from school. Saebbit caregivers provide this service. Local leaders with strong knowledge of their areas and rich experience, as well as community welfare council members, serve as caregivers.

Service Usage Cases Last Year Increased 353% Compared to Previous Year

The number of citizens using Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) services continues to grow. Last year, 5,193 residents used 120,588 care services, with new applicants for Saebbit Care services increasing 142% compared to 2024, and service usage cases increasing 353%.

The 8 basic services provided 120,030 service cases to 5,004 people, while the resident-proposed 'Elementary Lower Grade Commute Care Service' provided 478 service cases to 19 people. The citizen participation project 'Pregnancy Care Community Formation and Housekeeping Support Services' provided services to 170 pregnant women.

This year, the program is strengthening the distinctive 'gap care function of rapidly filling urgent and temporary care gaps' and advancing policies toward organically linking services with medical, long-term care, and daily living care.

Strengthening Gap Care Functions and Advancing Services

The four goals for Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) this year are: strengthening universal care safety nets accessible to all citizens, enhancing gap care functions focusing on emergencies and unserved areas, establishing outcome indicator-based policy effectiveness management systems, and establishing integrated support systems through linkages between medical, long-term care, and daily living care.

First, to transition to a sustainable care usage structure, the city will expand services requiring citizen cost-sharing and activate citizen participation and resident-proposed care.

Additionally, the city will establish neighborhood care hubs and strengthen regional cooperation by operating 'Around the Neighborhood Care Centers' as life-oriented care bases. The city plans to collaborate with religious organizations to utilize vacant spaces with good resident accessibility, such as religious facilities, as hub spaces.

In April, the city established a performance management system for Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) for 2026. The performance indicators consist of 13 total indicators: 4 policy indicators and 9 management indicators. Based on operational data from the past three years, the city plans to set realistic targets and advance the performance analysis system by actively utilizing platform data and existing satisfaction survey materials.

Furthermore, the city will establish a one-stop linkage system based on Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) and expand connections between medical, long-term care, and daily living care services.

A city official stated, "We will advance Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) to build a more comprehensive social safety net and provide customized care services to all citizens," and added, "We will continue to discover services that are truly helpful to citizens."

Meanwhile, citizens can apply for Suwon Saebbit Care (For Everyone) services at the dedicated care window at 44 district administrative welfare centers and through the Saebbit Talk Talk app. A care planner is assigned on the day of application, and services are connected within 7 days (or 3 days in emergency cases).