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The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Jung Eun-kyeong) announced that starting July 27, 2026, it will launch the “Niche Care” (틈새돌봄) initiative. This program temporarily extends the operating hours of after-school community childcare facilities during school vacation periods. Parents of elementary school children typically apply for and use in-school care classes during breaks. However, gaps in childcare can still occur depending on local circumstances and school conditions during vacations. For dual-income working parents, providing lunch for their children while they are at work is a particularly major concern. The Niche Care project aims to bridge these gaps. It temporarily extends the operation hours of after-school community childcare centers during school vacations and guarantees that children are provided with lunch and dinner. Out of approximately 5,600 after-school community childcare facilities nationwide, the project aims to recruit 2,500 participating centers. During vacations, 1,500 centers will be supported to operate from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and another 1,000 centers will operate from 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM. As a specialized, vacation-only program, any student can use these services through pre-application, even if they do not attend community childcare facilities during the regular school semester. However, to prevent excessive or unnecessary meal requests, individual centers are permitted to charge a weekly fee of up to 10,000 KRW per child (capped at 2,000 KRW per day). The program is scheduled to run from July 27 through the third week of August (matching this year’s summer vacation period), with services launching sequentially as regions and centers complete their preparations. Following this summer, the program will run again during the upcoming winter vacation (December 21, 2026 – January 2027) and will continue consistently during every school break moving forward. Starting July 27, parents can directly contact designated centers to inquire about using the service. Inquiries can also be made regarding nearby available centers through the national evening extended care hotline (1522-1318). After July 27, the list of designated centers will be easily accessible on the National Center for the Rights of the Child website. The Ministry of Health and Welfare expects that once participation expands to 2,500 centers as planned, more than 200,000 elementary students nationwide and their parents will benefit every vacation. Furthermore, in connection with the Ministry of Education’s pilot project “Excellent Model for Elementary Vacation Care and Education,” the ministry plans to actively participate in building various cooperative models between schools and local communities tailored to regional conditions. The additional state subsidies required for this new Niche Care project will be finalized and decided through a Cabinet meeting. Hyun Soo-yup, the First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, stated, “As elementary school vacations approach, dual-income parents often worry while checking school care options, anxious that unexpected situations might arise. We hope this vacation-time Niche Care project will greatly alleviate the vacation-related worries of parents with elementary school children across the nation.” He added, “We will collaborate with related ministries to continuously strengthen school-based care, while actively identifying and addressing childcare blind spots during late nights, weekends, and school vacations.” submitted by /u/rdh2dmd |
Ministry: Korea to Commence Operation of 2,500 Extended-Hour Child Care Centers Nationwide, Starting July 27. Centers Will Run from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM During School Breaks
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