Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province is rolling out a comprehensive plan to support children from infancy through to university. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
YEONGAM, Feb. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province is rolling out a comprehensive plan to support children from infancy through to university, offering up to 262 million won per child in phased support.
The initiative aims to make Yeongam an ideal place to raise children, with the plan emerging from a review of existing policies centered around birth incentives and family care, seeking to revolutionize the parenting paradigm through life-cycle support and the establishment of a community-based childcare system.
The comprehensive plan encompasses seven areas, including marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, creating a child-friendly environment, education, and support for women with career breaks, incorporating 49 projects to be funded with 292.4 billion won by 2028.
The goal is to establish a community where children born to residents of Yeongam County are raised collectively by the county and the community. Under this plan, various supports are provided at each stage of a child’s development: newlywed couples receive 16.3 million won, expecting couples get 7.25 million won, children under 7 years of age are allotted 134.62 million won, school-aged children receive 78.73 million won, and university students are provided with 25.1 million won, with these amounts representing the maximum support available.
Prior to devising the comprehensive plan, the county conducted a thorough survey of child-related policies. As of last December, children and teenagers constituted 17% of Yeongam County’s population of 52,493. Although the number of births in Yeongam saw a slight increase from 178 in 2022 to 193 last year, the trend has been generally decreasing.
Based on the survey, the county has developed policies for phased support aimed at altering the population structure, and has committed to creating a seamless care system tailored to the local context and the needs of the residents.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
