Providing lunch and dinner during vacation: Elementary students receive supplementary care at 2,500 locations

South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare is launching an initiative to provide crucial support for elementary school students during their summer vacation. Starting July 27 and continuing until the third week of August, a total of 2,500 centers nationwide will offer supplementary childcare and meals to bridge gaps in care services.

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We have prepared supplementary care measures to alleviate these concerns.

The program specifically targets the needs of children whose parents work, such as those in dual-income or single-parent households, who often worry about their children's meals and supervision during school breaks. "We have prepared supplementary care measures to alleviate these concerns," stated Hyun Soo-yeop, the First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, during a press briefing.

These "supplementary care" centers will extend the operating hours of existing community childcare facilities, ensuring children receive both lunch and dinner. While some facilities previously offered only one meal, the new program guarantees both. The ministry aims for 2,500 of the approximately 5,600 community childcare centers to participate, with 1,500 designated as supplementary care centers operating from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and an additional 1,000 as lunch centers operating from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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We plan to allocate sufficient operating budgets as active participation from the centers is important.

To ensure sufficient participation, the ministry is allocating substantial funding, with 10,000 won per meal provided per child. This translates to 20,000 won daily for lunch and dinner, amounting to 100,000 won per week per child for food costs, along with operational support for staff. The program is planned to continue annually, with an estimated 200,000 students expected to benefit each year. The government is allocating approximately 12 billion won, supplemented by an equal amount from local governments, for a total budget of 24 billion won.

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This is the first time the state is responsible for and subsidizing meals nationwide, whereas previously, community childcare centers and 'Dahamkke' centers only received support for personnel costs.