• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.29-73
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• 2007

This paper evaluates the effects of the Basic Subsidy Program provided to families with infants cared for in private day care centers. There has been a discrepancy in the price and quality level between public and private day care centers. Public day care centers which receive government support in their labor costs are able to maintain relatively higher quality at lower price than their private counterparts, while the majority of children are cared for at private day care centers. To reduce the gap of the price and quality of care between public and private day care centers by improving the quality and decreasing the price of private day care centers, the Basic Subsidy Program was introduced in 2006 to the private day care centers. The subsidies mainly aim to improve the quality and the accessibility of child care, and encourage mothers' labor supply. For this purpose, the provision of the Basic Subsidy Program imposed prerequisites to the care providers including minimum wage and four major insurances for teachers, and child-staff ratio. I examine whether the subsidies improve the quality of care, help mothers balancing work and family, and increase satisfaction with child care from mothers' perspective. Since the outcome variables that measure the quality of care are difficult to obtain, I instead use the input variables for quality production. Child-staff ratio, teachers' welfare, and care environment are considered. The relationship between these variables and the introduction of subsidies is examined. The 2004 National Survey of Child Care and Education and the 2004 National Survey of Day Care Centers are used for the base data set. To reflect the outcomes after the Basic Subsidy Program, equivalent data sets for households and care providers are constructed by the KDI Data Analysis Unit. Using these nationally representative data sets, information regarding child care is collected. The findings show that the subsidies contribute to the quality of care improving the input variables of quality production. The welfare of teachers is improved, and the child-staff ratio significantly decreases. As a result, the usage of private day care centers greatly increases even though the price level rarely changes. However, mothers' satisfaction with child care are rarely affected by the subsidies. Although the subsidies with no eligibility criteria enlarge the recipients, the actual effects to increase maternal labor supply or to improve satisfaction is limited. Given this findings, I suggest some modifications of subsidies to raise the effectiveness of the subsidy program.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.87-97
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• 2015

This study aims to examine how home child care allowance influences a mother's choice of child care type. To accomplish this goal, we surveyed 432 mothers who had at least one child under 5 years old. The data were analyzed by frequencies, percentages, means and binomial logistic regressions. The results showed that unemployed mothers and mothers with younger children had a high tendency to choose home child care allowance instead of child care subsidy. Second, mother's employment status, age of first child and an interactive term of mother's employment status and home child care receipt influenced a concordance between an ideal and actual child care type. Unemployed mothers and mothers with younger children were more likely to experience a concordance between their ideal and actual types of child care. By investigating how home child care allowance affects the right of choice in child care type, this study provides empirical information to policy makers and researchers and contributes to develop cash-benefit policies for families with young children.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.143-177
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• 2020

This paper investigates how the provision of full child care subsidy to infants and toddlers differently affected female labor supply and fertility rate depending on the level of supply of child care centers in the place of residence. Our results on labor supply show that the higher the supply rate of childcare centers in residential areas, the higher the probability of career maintenance for multi-child mothers who are more likely to be admitted to a childcare facility. The results on the fertility rate show that the first child's fertility rate has increased since the support of childcare expenses in areas with higher rates of childcare centers. In the places where the supply rate of publicly-funded childcare centers is high, the second child's fertility rate has also increased significantly since the support of childcare expenses. This suggests that the quality of child care is an essential factor in determining the birth rate. Our results suggest that the effects of child care support on women's labor supply and fertility rate may differ depending on the priority of entering child care centers according to birth order and the degree of quantitative and qualitative supply of child care centers in the place of residence.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

This paper proposes a scheme to estimate the technical efficiency at child care centers for the less-than-three-year-old infants by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and to manage the quality of care service through implementing flexible and efficient government subsidy system. The result of technical efficiency estimation shows that there exists the heterogeneity in technical efficiency a substantial opportunity for improvement in technical efficiency across child care centers. This result implies that government may bring up the competition by giving subsidy differentially based on efficiency and use the money which has been used inefficiently other purposes. Both can improve the quality of child care service.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.5-30
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• 2005

This article attempts to restructurize the current arguments on how to change the method of financing child care programme, which is currently under discussion in Korea. There has been a series of changes in Korean child care policy, such as the amendment of Child Care Act, the transition of its responsible administrations, adoption the child care policy as a national agenda. In these changes, new needs for child care financing method comes out with a new direction of child care policy and a plan of expansion of finances. That's the transition from 'facility-centered subsidy' to 'child-centered subsidy'. This article redefine it as the arguments about 'supply-side subsidy' vs. 'demand-side subsidy'. To analyse the different traits of two branches of arguments, this article reviews the social welfare models, and has come to the conclusion that the Burchardt's model is appropriate to explain the financing debates. Thus, the analysis the traits of the two perspectives is based on three dimensions i. e. service provision, financing and decision making according to the Burchardt's model. This also examines how the two sides is connected to the discussion of publicity and quality improvement of child care service. Through this approaches and analysis, this helps us restructurize the debates on the method of financing from the present superficial arguments.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.89-107
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• 2014

This study analyzes how governmental financial support of child care affects the participation of married women in the labor market in Korea. This dynamic analysis used data gathered over four years via the fifth to the eighth Korea Welfare Panel Studies (KWPS). The major results are as follows. First, child care allowance has a negative effect on the participation of married women in the labour market. Providing cash for child care seems to decrease women's labour market participation by cementing the role of women as the primary child care providers in the household. Second, the support for families, used by child care facilities, is found to increase the probability of married women working either part-time or full-time, thereby decreasing the burden on household budgets caused by child care costs. In conclusion, governmental policy-based child care benefits, used by child care centers, should be continued so that married women may participate in the labour market while raising their children.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2010

The purpose of the current study was to select vulnerable regions with insufficient child care services based on an in-depth investigation of diverse regional characteristics and to establish a practical goal for the expansion of public child care centers through identifying priority regions in foremost need of public child care centers out of the vulnerable regions. The vulnerable regions were selected from both urban and rural areas with particular criterions to determine their critical situation. First of all, the number of children aged zero to five, private and public child care centers, and capacity and enrolment of the regional child care center were selected from towns (Eup) and townships (Myeon) within rural areas and neighborhoods (Dong) within urban areas to calculate the capacity fulfillment. Specifically, a dense population of low-income families inhabited within urban areas defined the region's vulnerable status for the analysis, whereas poor accessibility of a child care center within rural areas correspond to the lack of child care services. The analytical result displayed that a total of 456 towns and townships did not acquire child care centers. Out of 456 towns and townships, 162 were selected as priority regions. On the other hand, 546 neighborhoods corresponding to upper 30 percentiles of urban area where children receive basic subsidy for low income families were selected as vulnerable regions. Out of 546 neighborhoods, 243 were selected as priority regions according to the analytical result.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.109-121
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the barriers and improvements to promoting physical activity among children using community child care centers. Methods: A qualitative research using focus group interviews was employed. Three focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 18 service providers, and open-ended questions were used. All interviews were recorded as they were spoken and transcribed and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Two main themes in the barriers to promoting physical activity were 'lack of resources' and 'limitations of program composition'. In addition, five sub-themes emerged as a result of analysis: 1) lack of human resources, 2) lack of finance, 3) lack of space, 4) one-off and short-term physical activity programs, 5) learning-oriented programs. Conclusion: The results indicate that it is necessary to have adequate human resources and a realistic government subsidy that allow community child care centers to provide sufficient services to children. In addition, promoting physical activity can be achieved through physical activity programs focused on peer group advisors, habituation, and development of programs suited to the needs of children and their environment.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.115-141
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to understand the changes from adopting daily two-shift roster in child care institutions. To accomplish this purpose, we collected data mainly from depth interview with managers, child care workers, and children in child care institutions adopting daily two-shift roster, and analysed these data through qualitative case study approach. The results of this study are as follows. First, child care workers take the chance of recreation, their working conditions improved, they were participated in self-development activity, and they could make relationship with persons in social network. But, some participants worried about decrease of responsibility of workers. Second, one hand, possibility of high-quality care for child is increased, on the other hand, possibility of improving attachment relationship between workers and children is decreased. some children is confused by shift. But, most important strength is that partners have complementary parenting roles through discussion about parenting skills. They have developed communication skills by trial and error, and growed with children through sharing. Third, many qualified persons have applied for institution because of improvement of working conditions, thus institutions had the chance of adopting qualified workers. These workers have various abilities and resources, could mobilize resources from community, and could progress various programs and intervene for children. But, institutions had many difficulties in process adopting daily two-shift roster because of unstable financial support and previous structure. Most of participants worried about that local government may cut down a subsidy.