보육산업의 현황과 향후 정책방향

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the current states of childcare service and find the way to enhance the quality of service by widening the variety of consumer choice to solve the dead zone of childcare. Because the fertility rate has been low, lots of efforts to enhance the fertility rate has been made these days. Especially, childcare service has been supported in many ways to get rid of the economic burden which is the main reason of the low fertility rate. In addition, free childcare service has been rapidly introduced for 2 years since childcare service was acknowledged as universal welfare service. But, there has been excess demand in childcare center because of imbalance between the cost for the center-based care and child benefit. To solve the problem, parents’ option needs to be widened by supporting evenly for the childcare center and child benefit. Also, it is important to expand support for home-based childcare from Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and to let parents use the service they need at each case by introducing half-time childcare service and part-time childcare service. Moreover, after school Care Service is needed for those who don’t have anybody to be taken care of among elementary school children. To systematically administer childcare service, childcare integrated support system needs to be made to provide the service to help the counsel and the process and the quality of childcare service should be improved for the environment which parents can raise their children as much as they like.