ChildFund Korea discusses support for children and young adults providing family care; holds first Young Carer Week

[Financial News] Young carers—children and young adults who care for family members—have issued a declaration affirming their right to learn and rest and their right not to shoulder caregiving alone. A total of 18 organizations and groups, including ChildFund Korea, plan to deliver it to the government and discuss support measures to reduce caregiving burdens.
On the 4th, ChildFund Korea, a specialized child welfare organization, said that an event for the first Korea Young Carer Week had been held on the 29th of last month at the Grand Ballroom of Yonsei University in Seoul. Around 2,800 people took part both online and in person, including Hyeon Su-yeop, First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare; Kim Yu-im, president of the National Center for the Rights of the Child; Hyun Jun Kim, president of the Korea Social Security Information Service; and young carers themselves.
Young Carer Week was organized to raise awareness of children and young adults who struggle to prepare for their own daily lives and futures because of housework, caregiving, and other responsibilities, and to call for expanded support. The Korea Young Carer Week Steering Council, made up of 18 organizations and groups, held the event from the 23rd to the 29th of last month with support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Its slogan is “A comma in young carers’ today, wings for tomorrow.”
The Young Carer Rights Declaration, announced that day by young carers themselves, is centered on the rights to dignity, development, participation, and care. It sets out the right not to face discrimination, the right to learn and rest, the right to participate in decisions about one’s own life, and the right not to shoulder caregiving alone.
The steering council plans to deliver the declaration to the government and hold a National Assembly policy forum to discuss changes since the relevant law took effect.
The Act on Support for Children and Young Adults in Crisis, Including Those Providing Family Care, which took effect on March 26 this year, provides a basis for identifying and supporting children and young adults who provide family care, among others. It provides for psychological counseling, health management, and support for education and employment. A dedicated organization draws up a case management plan for each person eligible for support and provides ongoing management to ensure they receive the social security benefits they need.
During the second part of the commemorative event, Kim Ji-seon, associate research fellow at the Research Center of the Korea Social Security Information Service; Lee Hae-nim, associate professor in Dongguk University’s Department of Social Welfare and Counseling; and Joo Yeong-seon, associate professor in Myongji University’s Department of Social Welfare, gave a joint presentation titled “Young Carers Through Researchers’ Eyes: From Identification to Support.” They reviewed the development of support systems and gaps in coverage, and outlined tasks to reduce caregiving burdens.
In a panel discussion that followed, chaired by Professor Choi Yeong of Chung-Ang University, representatives of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, ChildFund Korea’s Busan Social Welfare Center, the Chungnam Social Service Agency, and the Seoul Welfare Foundation, among others, shared cases involving young carers and discussed ways to support them in changing their daily lives.
The event also featured a special performance by singer Jung Yong-hwa, an ambassador for Young Carer Week, and a sponsorship handover ceremony by Aekyung Industrial. Aekyung Industrial donated daily necessities worth 2 billion won to help young carers rest and regain a sense of normalcy in their daily lives.
Hwang Young-key, co-chair of the steering council and chairman of ChildFund Korea, said, “There should no longer be anyone who gives up their own life and puts their future on hold because they are caring for family members.” He added, “I hope you will continue to show interest and support so that children and young adults can move beyond care work, dream of and achieve what they want for themselves, and grow up healthy.”

[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter