'Where You Live Shouldn't Determine Your Opportunities'

International child rights NGO Save the Children has put forth a set of child policy proposals for candidates running in the 9th National Simultaneous Local Elections in South Korea. The core objective is to foster local governments that prioritize children's well-being and ensure that every child has an equal starting point, irrespective of where they live.

The NGO highlighted the stark reality that a child's access to safety, health, care, and growth opportunities often depends on their region's financial capacity and social service infrastructure. Save the Children argues that this disparity must be addressed to create a more equitable environment for all children.

Key policy recommendations include expanding early childhood health management programs, introducing a regional child basic income, implementing a "Dream Growth Voucher" to support middle and high school students, and improving the registration and support system for children born without official registration. These proposals aim to tackle issues ranging from early life health to educational and developmental opportunities.

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We must no longer accept the reality that a child's opportunities in life differ based on the region where they live.

Save the Children emphasized that the upcoming local elections should serve as a catalyst for change, moving beyond mere regional development and growth competition. The organization stressed the need to alter the current situation where a child's life opportunities are determined by their birthplace and upbringing.

A study titled 'Quality of Life for Korean Children in 2024,' conducted by Save the Children in collaboration with Seoul National University's Social Welfare Research Institute, revealed a clear correlation between regional disparities in social services and living infrastructure and children's happiness and quality of life. The research indicated that children in metropolitan areas like Busan, Sejong, Daegu, and Gwangju reported higher quality of life indices compared to those in provincial areas such as Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Gangwon, and Jeonnam. The gap was particularly pronounced in lower-ranking regions, underscoring a widening polarization in children's quality of life across different areas of the country.

To address this, Save the Children is advocating for specific policy directions: expanding early childhood health management services, introducing regional child basic income, providing child and adolescent growth support vouchers, and ensuring registration and support for children born without registration. The NGO particularly stressed the importance of public care and preventive support during infancy, suggesting that home-visiting services by nurses could serve as a crucial community safety net. Furthermore, the growth support vouchers aim to ensure children are not excluded from developmental experiences due to their family's economic status or location. The regional child basic income is proposed to fill the support gap for middle and high school students, which persists despite existing child allowance programs. The issue of unregistered births is also highlighted as a critical area requiring local government intervention, as registration is directly linked to a child's right to survival and development.

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Child policies should be a core task for the future and sustainability of the region, as they determine the care, education, safety, and growth environment for children at the closest level.