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Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment for Children: 2026 Policy Forum on Community Childcare Centers Held

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that the “2026 Policy Forum on Community Childcare Centers” (hereinafter referred to as the Forum), hosted by the Busan Association of Community Childcare Centers, will be held today (the 10th) at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Grand Conference Room.

The Forum was organized to share the operational achievements of community childcare centers and explore future development directions as key hubs of public childcare, amid increasingly diverse childcare needs resulting from changes in family structures and the rise in dual-income households.

At the Forum, participants will discuss policy response directions to redefine the role of community childcare centers in response to diversified childcare needs and to strengthen the public nature of child care.

Attendees will include Yoon Tae-han, Chair of the City Council’s Welfare and Environment Committee; Kang Cheol-ho, Chair of the Steering Committee; City Council members Moon Young-mi and Seo Guk-bo; and City Council member Park Hee-yong, who will serve as moderator.

In addition, approximately 100 participants—including City officials, Park Seon-hee, President of the Busan Association of Community Childcare Centers, staff from community childcare centers across districts and counties, professionals from social welfare–related organizations, and experts—will take part in discussions on a wide range of issues related to after-school childcare.

First, expert presentations will be given focusing on key topics such as the operational status and challenges of community childcare centers, measures to strengthen their functions to address childcare gaps, and institutional improvements to establish a sustainable support system.

Professor Jeong Su-jeong of Silla University will present on “Operational Performance of Community Childcare Centers and Future Challenges in Response to Diversified Childcare Needs,” redefining the role of centers as a core pillar of a community-based integrated care system and proposing measures to ensure operational stability.

Next, Professor Lee Mi-ra of Dong-eui University will present on “Building a Busan-Style Support System to Strengthen Childcare.” She will analyze the City’s achievement of being selected as the top local government in the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s evaluation of child policy implementation plans for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024, and emphasize the need to further strengthen the childcare control tower function going forward.

In the designated discussions that follow, major topics will include measures to enhance the public nature of community childcare centers, improvement of working conditions and professional capacity of staff, stronger linkage with community-based childcare systems, and directions for operating programs that reflect the diverse needs of children.

With City Council member Park Hee-yong serving as moderator, the discussion will feature Park Jong-hyeok, Secretary General of the Busan Council on Social Welfare; Professor Kim Jun-gyu of Daedong University; Kim Jeong-mun, Director of the Dong-gu Jjokbang Counseling Center; and Kim Dal-yong, an administrative officer from Geumjeong-gu, who will engage in in-depth discussions on enhancing the professionalism of local childcare networks and improving working conditions for staff.

In particular, the discussants are expected to agree that for community childcare centers to function not merely as places of care but as community-based childcare hubs that support children’s growth and development, institutional support as well as administrative and financial backing are essential.

Based on the diverse opinions presented at this Forum, the City plans to review its community childcare center policies and actively reflect them in child care policies from this year (2026) onward.

Park Seol-yeon, Director General of the City’s Women and Family Bureau, stated, “Community childcare centers play a very important role as safe havens and sources of emotional support for children,” adding, “We will actively reflect valuable input from the field and do our utmost to create a ‘happy Busan that is a great place to raise children,’ where children are loved and can grow up healthy.”