Free childcare vs. childcare allowance: Differences in support for families sending children to daycare and those raising children at home

Free childcare is a system in which the government supports the childcare fees incurred when a child goes to a daycare center or kindergarten, and childcare allowance is a system that provides cash support to parents who raise their children at home rather than using facilities. Since 2013, Korea has expanded support to allow children aged 0 to 5 to receive either childcare fees or childcare allowances regardless of income.

How to provide equal support to parents who leave their children in charge of their children and those who raise their children themselves is a common question in childcare policy and low birth rate measures, so we compared and summarized the differences between the two systems.

Why did the two systems come together?

If the low birth rate continues, the number of people working will decrease and the finances of the pension and social security systems will be shaken. So the government has made reducing the cost burden of raising children a key measure. At first, the focus was on supporting the cost of using daycare centers, but equity issues were raised in that families who did not use the facilities received fewer benefits. The childcare allowance was expanded with the intention of supporting these families and allowing parents to choose their childcare method.

In other words, it is better to understand the two systems as a bundle of policies that do not help only one family, but support both institutional childcare and home childcare.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of free childcare?

Because free childcare supports all children regardless of income, it can reduce the stigmatization effect that arises from selecting and supporting only low-income families. It also has the advantage of helping dual-income families balance work and childcare, and allowing children to receive education and care from a similar starting point.

On the other hand, it has been pointed out that as the cost burden disappears, the use of facilities even when not absolutely necessary increases, making it difficult for dual-income families who really need it to find a place. Criticism was also raised that the quality of teacher treatment and childcare did not keep up with the increased demand.

기출 문제를 먼저 보고 자주 나오는 개념부터 공부하니까 시간이 많이 줄더라고요. 문제를 풀 때 시간을 재면서 연습해 보는 것도 한번 챙겨보면 좋을 것 같아요.

What are the good things about child support allowance and what are the things that are of concern?

Childcare allowance has the advantage of expanding the options for parents to take care of their children at home, and especially supporting families who want to raise their children at home during their early childhood. It also ensures fairness between families that use the facility and those that do not.

The meaning of home raising is emphasized in that a stable relationship with the primary caregiver is important during infancy. Conversely, in early childhood, interaction with peers and teachers helps development Theories such as Vygotsky's zone of proximal development support the value of high-quality child care.

However, if the amount of cash support is not large, the effect of reducing the burden of childcare will be limited, and some are concerned that it may prolong women's career breaks.

What more should universalism fill?

The two systems are evaluated as having achieved quantitative universalism in that they target all children. However, there are many who point out that expanding the scope of support is not enough, and that qualitative universalism is also needed to ensure that children can receive reliable care no matter which daycare center they go to. Teacher-to-child ratio, teacher treatment, and expansion of national and public daycare centers are frequently discussed issues in this regard.

What should I pay attention to when writing assignments?

The support system changes frequently. For example, from 2023, the structure has changed, with children aged 0 to 1 receiving parental benefits in place of the existing infant allowance. Therefore, it is safe to use the amount and target in conjunction with the base year by checking the latest standards from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The flow of the report is clear if you write it in the following order: awareness of the problem of low birth rate → contents of the two systems → comparison of pros and cons → opinions on the pros and cons → quantitative and qualitative universalism tasks. Campus-like free child care and child care allowance comparison data can be a reference for those who want to organize pros and cons in child care policy or child welfare theory assignments.