Gyeonggi Province Covers Childcare Fees for Foreign Children for the First Time in Korea

Gyeonggi Province of the Republic of Korea is now covering monthly childcare fees of KRW 100,000 for foreign children aged 0 to 2 who at...

Gyeonggi Province of the Republic of Korea is now covering monthly childcare fees of KRW 100,000 for foreign children aged 0 to 2 who attend daycare centers in the province. This is the first time a local government in Korea has done this.

Since January 2023, Gyeonggi Province has also been subsidizing childcare costs for foreign children aged 3 to 5 through monthly support of KRW 100,000.

Starting this April, Gyeonggi Province will expand the subsidy to cover some childcare fees for all foreign children aged 0 to 5, marking another first among local governments in Korea.

Who is eligible for the childcare subsidy?
To be eligible for the childcare subsidy, the child and at least one parent must reside in Gyeonggi Province and have lived the province for more than 90 days. The subsidy can only be received if the permitted sojourn period has not ended. Childcare fee payments are made through the Kookmin Happiness Card (국민행복카드), and the subsidy is automatically transferred to the daycare center.

Application and documents
To apply for the subsidy, parents should fill out an application form, provide a copy of their alien registration card and certificate of residence in Korea, and sign a Personal Information Provision Agreement. The application should be submitted to the daycare center.

If you are curious about the education of foreign children in Korea, please refer to this Gyeonggi Province’s blog post series:
‘Introduction of Korean Foreign Schools’ article blog article

Gyeonggi Province aims to create a superior welfare culture and ensure more, fairer and better opportunities for everyone. By expanding the childcare subsidy to foreign children, the province hopes to create an environment in which children, teachers, and parents are happy. If you're interested in learning more about education for foreign children in Korea, you can refer to the related articles on Gyeonggi Province's website.