“Care Work Is Growing, but Conditions Stand Still”: Korean Child-Care Centers Seek Government Funding

“Care work is growing, but conditions stand still.” That was the message from the National Association of Community Child Centers, whose members gathered outside South Korea’s National Assembly in Seoul to demand better treatment for workers and related funding in the 2027 government budget.

Representatives from the association’s 18 provincial and metropolitan branches attended the news conference on the 2nd. They said community child centers have taken on more responsibilities, including extended night care and care during gaps in other services, without receiving enough staff or improvements to their pay systems.

Choi Shin-ae, head of the association’s Ulsan branch, said regional differences in whether seniority-based pay systems apply have created wage gaps among workers. “Wage differences are occurring among workers depending on whether a seniority-based pay system is applied in each region,” she said, calling for the practical application of labor-cost guidelines for social-welfare facilities.

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Wage differences are occurring among workers depending on whether a seniority-based pay system is applied in each region.

The association said pay increases for center workers have fallen short of increases in the minimum wage and in labor-cost guidelines for welfare facilities. It also said the budget allocated to apply the guidelines fully remains insufficient. If experienced workers continue to leave, the group warned, children may not receive consistent care.

Its four demands were the application of labor-cost guidelines, recognition of workers’ experience and seniority while narrowing pay gaps with other welfare facilities, more realistic standards for child capacity and staffing, and unification of the branding for care services. Association chairman Nam Se-do said improving workers’ conditions “is a basic condition for providing stable child care.” Government officials and the responsible ministry agree that conditions need improvement, but say they must also consider national welfare finances and fairness with other welfare professions. The outcome of the National Assembly’s budget review is now drawing attention.

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Improving workers’ conditions is a basic condition for providing stable child care.