Parents of children with developmental disabilities struggle to use counseling vouchers

A counseling voucher designed to support parents of children with developmental disabilities is reaching only about six in 10 eligible users, as round-the-clock caregiving leaves many parents unable to attend appointments.

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I often canceled even after making a reservation because I had to care for my child.

Data obtained by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Mi-hwa from the Korea Social Security Information Service showed that voucher use ranged from 59.9% to 64.8% between 2021 and 2025. It never exceeded 65%. Applications, however, increased from 710 in 2021 to 1,258 in 2025, and 96.7% of applicants were selected for assistance last year.

Kim Su-jeong, 59, who has a child with a developmental disability, said parents often cancel appointments because they must care for their children. “Around me, many parents cannot even think about taking care of their own mental health because they have no time to go out alone for a few hours and too few institutions nearby,” she said.

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Many parents cannot even think about taking care of their own mental health because they have no time to go out alone for a few hours and too few institutions nearby.

The pressure is reflected in a survey of 2,649 caregivers in five regions. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs reported that 18.5% had wanted psychological counseling or medical care during the previous year, 7.9% were taking mental-health medication, and 10.1% had thought about giving up on life. Forty-three percent cared for their child alone, while 51.6% spent at least five hours a day on caregiving.

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People do not even dare to leave home for personal counseling when they have only about two or three hours of support a day.

Parent organizations say counseling will remain difficult to use without short-term care during appointments. Proposed measures include one-stop links to emergency caregivers and dedicated spaces where children could stay temporarily at counseling centers. Seo said policymakers must first address the caregiving burden and lack of time that prevent parents from using the service.

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We must first improve the realistic conditions, including the caregiving burden and lack of time, that prevent counseling use.