417 Seoul community child centers care for 11,281 children... school-break meals and nighttime support expanded

[Financial News] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is expanding the care services provided by community child centers to ease the childcare burden on dual-income families and others. It has broadened the range of support, from school-break lunches to nighttime and emergency care, and introduced a new educational program in which learning mentors visit the centers in person. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 27th, as of the end of September, 417 community child centers were operating across the city’s 25 districts, serving a total of 11,281 children. Community child centers are child welfare facilities that provide care, education, cultural activities and other services to children who need supervision after school.
This year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government also began providing school-break meals through community child centers. Under the “Seoul Kids’ Hearty Meal” program, introduced in July, lunches were provided during summer break at 226 locations, including community child centers and Our Neighborhood Kium Centers, alongside reading, play and hands-on activities. The city plans to increase the number of participating facilities to 243 for winter break, which begins in December.
Care hours have also been diversified to fit parents’ work schedules. “School-Break Gap Care,” which allows parents to leave their children at a center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during school vacations, is operating at 243 community child centers. Nighttime care, available from 10 p.m. to midnight, is offered at 57 locations. Emergency care is also available for families who have difficulty looking after their children because of a sudden hospitalization or late-night work.
Learning support is expanding from online to in-person services. Starting this month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is piloting “Seoul Learn Mentor On-Site Group Mentoring” at 10 community child centers. Dedicated mentors visit centers in eight districts, including Eunpyeong, Yeongdeungpo and Gangseo, twice a week for two hours each time to help with homework, previewing and reviewing lessons, and solving workbook problems.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held the “2026 Community Child Center Festival” at the City Hall multipurpose hall that day, with about 500 attendees, including community child center staff, children who use the centers and parents. At the event, it presented 27 commendations from the Seoul mayor and 25 awards from the chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council to people recognized for their contributions to frontline care, and held celebratory performances, including a children’s orchestra and a traditional Korean percussion performance.
In his congratulatory remarks, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “The ‘special city for quality of life’ that Seoul aspires to be is a city where children can enjoy ample opportunities for care and learning, whatever environment they grow up in, and parents can raise their children with peace of mind. To build a Seoul where children are happy, we will expand emergency and temporary care and learning support at community child centers, improve conditions at aging facilities, and pay close attention to the treatment and working conditions of all of you who work at these centers.”

[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter