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Merry Christmas in Advance with Warmth and Fun: “Escape Solo Parenting! Parenting Community Performance Report” Held

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Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Heong-joon announced that the warm and joyful “Merry Christmas in Advance – ‘Escape Solo Parenting! Parenting Community’ Performance Report” will be held today (18th) at 10:00 in the City Hall main conference hall.

This event has been organized to wrap up the past year’s activities of the parenting communities, share their achievements, and create special memories. Approximately 200 people, including Mayor Park Heong-joon, parenting community members, parents, and children, are expected to attend.

The “Escape Solo Parenting! Parenting Community” program is an initiative that Busan Metropolitan City has operated since last year (2024) to ease the burden of childcare through shared-care communities and to foster a positive culture of childbirth and parenting.
This year, 125 teams (695 households) participated, compared to 100 teams (558 households) in 2024. Parents shared childcare information and relieved the difficulties and stress of parenting through various online and offline activities, while children made new friends and engaged in diverse experiential programs.

Today’s event will be held in a Christmas-themed setting and will proceed with presentations of outstanding community cases, screening of activity videos, awards for excellent parenting communities, a performance report, and a healing jazz performance for parents. A sparkling Christmas tree photo zone and warm carols will greet parents and children, offering a program where everyone can laugh together and share empathy.

First, the Jaimaus team, representing the 125 participating parenting community teams, will present an outstanding case that captures shared parenting moments with parents and children. The Jaimaus team consists of five households and eight children living in the same apartment complex, and they have participated in the parenting community program for two consecutive years.

In addition, an activity video compiled from photos of this year’s parenting community activities will be screened, and two outstanding parenting community teams will receive awards. Kim Jeong-sin, Director of the Busan Childcare Support Center, will deliver a performance report showcasing how the parenting communities practiced shared care and contributed to warm communal parenting.

Following this, the “Warm Jazz Gift” healing jazz performance for parents—aimed at melting away parenting stress—will be held, offering comfort and encouragement to participants.

Meanwhile, to make Busan a city where it is easy to give birth and raise children, Busan Metropolitan City has been implementing the Busan-style childcare brand “Cherish Just Like You” since last year (2024). Centered on the three core strategies—All-day Care, Zero Parenting Cost Burden, and Let’s Play Together—the city is pursuing various childcare policies.

On November 10, the city declared that all daycare centers in Busan will provide fully free childcare starting in 2026. This policy includes expanded support for required expenses (monthly support increased from KRW 97,000 to KRW 137,000 for infants aged 0–2), increased snack cost support (from KRW 81,000 to KRW 113,000), childcare fee support for foreign-national preschoolers (monthly KRW 360,000 for ages 3–5), expansion of “Open Daycare Centers” (from 195 to 205 centers), and an increase in part-time childcare institutions.

Additionally, by the end of this year, the Pororo Library inside Busan Citizens Park will be newly refurbished, and the “Cherish Just Like You” public kids’ café—an indoor play space for infants and toddlers—will also open.

Mayor Park Heong-joon is expected to say, “Sharing the challenges of childcare within the community is the true strength of a community. I hope today becomes a meaningful opportunity for more parents to communicate and support one another. We will continue advancing the ‘Cherish Just Like You’ project to build a city of Busan where children’s laughter echoes throughout.”