Capacity of 98 children to lighten childcare burden for working couples

◇ Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo, guests, children and parents pose for a photograph at the opening ceremony of the Ansan Smart Hub Childcare Center held on March 12. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Heo Seon-ryang

A 24-hour public childcare center opened to lighten the burden of childcare for working couples near the Ansan Smart Hub.

Gyeonggi Province and Ansan City began full-scale operation of the municipal Ansan Smart Hub Childcare Center with over 100 people present at the opening ceremony on March 12, including Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo, Ansan City Mayor Kim Cheol-min, personnel of childcare organizations, parents and workers.

“It’s really great to be able to provide high-quality childcare services and lighten the childcare burden for parents by opening a 24-hour childcare center in Korea’s main national industrial complex in Banwol, Ansan City, where there are over 180,000 workers,” said Governor Kim. “This will serve as an exemplary case for the nation as the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation rented the site for free and the local government covered the installation expenses.”

He also added, “As the low birth rate has recently emerged as a serious social issue, I think the real patriots are female workers who bear children. The government, provinces and cities are obliged to provide healthy and stable childcare services so that these people can leave their children in the care of facilities free of worries.”

The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation provided a free leasehold for the childcare center, and a total of KRW 1.5 billion, including KRW 1 billion from Gyeonggi Province and KRW 500 million from Ansan City, was invested to build the two-story childcare center on the 900.3㎡ site with a total floor area of 699.76㎡. The childcare center is surrounded by other amenities such as a gazebo, forest, playground and trail. 

With an age limit of five and a 98-child capacity, the children center will be operated with delegation to the private sector. Currently there are 38 children: 9 in the class for age 0, 13 in the class for age 1, and 13 in the class for age 2. There are 12 teachers working at the center, and there will be two teachers exclusively in charge at night and early in the morning.

“As both my husband and I are working, I had had trouble finding the right place to take care of my children for extended periods of time, but now I’m really excited that the new 24-hour childcare center just opened,” said Lim Seon-hee , who sent two children, ages three and five, to the center. “I think it’s more trustworthy because it’s public. Now I can work without worrying about my children.”

The province opened Korea’s first 24-hour childcare center (operated in three shifts) for industrial complex workers such as Hynix Semiconductor employees back in July of 2010, and another 24-hour childcare center in the Sihwa Industrial Complex last June.

Currently there are 399 public childcare centers, and Gyeonggi Province plans to add 31 more to increase the number to 431 this year.

◇ Governor Kim has a great time with children in the childcare center. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Heo Seon-ryang

ⓒGyeonggi G-News | Roh Kyoung-hee khrohh@kg21.net 

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201403121434267055C048&s_code=C048