○ Removal of the 90-day residency requirement allows eligible children to receive support immediately upon foreign resident registration, helping eliminate gaps in childcare assistance
○ Beginning in July, Gyeonggi Province will ease the eligibility requirements for its childcare subsidy program for foreign children, allowing infants and young children who have completed foreign resident registration to receive childcare subsidies regardless of how long they have lived in the province.
○ The province announced on June 30 that it will abolish the residency requirement and expand eligibility for the childcare subsidy program following revisions to the “Gyeonggi Province Ordinance on Support for Foreign Residents.”
○ The program provides childcare subsidies for foreign children aged 0 to 5 enrolled in daycare centers across Gyeonggi Province. It aims to reduce childcare costs for foreign families while ensuring that all infants and young children have equal access to childcare services without discrimination.
○ Previously, both the parent or guardian and the child were required to have resided in Gyeonggi Province for more than 90 days to qualify for the subsidy. As a result, newly arrived foreign families often fell outside the support system during their initial settlement period, creating gaps in access to childcare assistance.
○ With the ordinance revision, however, the 90-day residency requirement has been removed. Foreign children who have completed foreign resident registration will now be eligible for childcare subsidies when attending daycare centers regardless of their length of residence.
○ Ko Hyeon-suk, Director of the Gyeonggi Province’s Childcare Policy Division, stated, “This change in the eligibility criteria is expected to ease the childcare burden on foreign families and help eliminate gaps in childcare support,” adding, “We will continue working to create an inclusive childcare environment where every child in the province receives equal care and support.”