• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.27-42
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the changes of childcare expenses and private education expenses caused by target expanding the childcare subsidy policy and its relationship to household income. Methods: The study analyzed data of the Korean Welfare Panel Study from 2009, before the universal childcare policy was enforced, to 2013, when the universal childcare policy was enforced. Results and Conclusion: The results of analysis were as follows. First, while childcare expenses, private education expenses, and their ratios to household income showed a tendency of gradual decline, the graphs of childcare and private education expenses were symmetric. Second, there were differences in childcare and private education expenses among income classes. Third, in 2009, before the universal childcare policy was enforced, household income affected childcare and private expenses. Lastly, in 2013, after the universal childcare policy was implemented, household income had a greater effect on private education expenses, while the effect of household income on childcare expenses became insignificant.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2016

This paper examines the effects of a universal childcare subsidy on childcare decisions and mothers' employment by using Korea's policy reform of 2012, which provided a full childcare subsidy to all children aged 0 to 2. I find that the introduction of a universal childcare subsidy increased the use of childcare centers by children aged 0-2, which led to less maternal care compared to that provided to children aged 3-4. However, the expanded subsidy had little effect on mothers' labor supply. Moreover, the policy effects vary by individual and household characteristics. The effects of the expanded subsidy are mainly found in low-income households and less educated mothers. Highly educated mothers and high-income households are likely to focus more on the quality of childcare service. These results imply that a simple reduction in childcare costs would bring only limited effects on mothers' time allocation behavior; thus, more attention should be paid to improving the quality of childcare services.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.285-307
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• 2011

This study aims to criticize the recent reform of childcare policy since 2008, which goes for marketization, individualization, and familialization, and to search for its alternative. First, this study analyzes the problems of the above three options based on the context of 'free choice', while examining how welfare regimes have dealt with the changes in childcare policy. Second, the study reviews several controversies in the process of policy formation for childcare service, including coverage of service recipient, policy direction, outcome, efficiency, and priority. Third, it proposes an alternative for accomplishing universal childcare service delivery system. Finally, the paper is to point out that the reform of childcare policy of MB government carries fundamental problems of reinforcing class stratification and gender stratification, and thus dose not attain the ultimate goal of childcare policy.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.59-91
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• 2020

The recent reform of child care policy is to give priority to double-income households in the use of childcare facilities. This study analyzed the effect of the use of childcare facilities on the employment of married women under the on-going reform. Using the data from the 19th and 21st wave of the Korean Labor and Income Study, the marginal treatment effect (MTE) analysis method was used to eliminate the selection bias in which the sub-population targeted for policy is determined according to the priority when childcare demand exceeds supply. The study finds that the employment effect of married women who use childcare facilities does not differ statistically from the employment effect of married women who do not use childcare facilities.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.35-60
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• 2016

This study analyzes the unequal distributional effect of threesome of family policy(child benefit, childcare services and parental leave) focusing on family income, mother's status in labor market in Korea. To measure the unequal distributional effect of family policies, this study used the quantile analysis. The results of this study are as follows. First, in terms of childcare service and parental leave, there is some difference of the rate of use by family income and mother's status in labor market. Second, total public fund for childcare services, child benefits and parental leave are high in fourth income quintile, and mothers work regularly. Third, public fund is high in fourth income quintile, dual earners, mothers work regularly, the family has many number of child, and is high educational level of parents. Finally, the results of quantile regression show the biggest factors of unequal distribution of family policy are mother's stable work and it deepens the inequalities and differences. Based on these results, this article suggests that more equal right to access and use family policy regardless of the type of employment, adequate minimum income through income transfer, and universal application of the policy.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.169-193
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• 2013

This paper examines how a social investment approach can be applied in a comparative analysis of childcare arrangements. We compared changes in Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, Japan and Korea during the 2000s, focusing on four dimensions of social investment: activation, gender equality, quality of care, and the degree of state's intervention in the family. We considered leave systems and the number of children enrolled in formal care and education facilities as indicators for labour market activation. For gender equality, women's position in employment is considered with respect to labour market participation rates, proportion of permanent employment, and wage-sex ratio. Quality of care concerns child-to-staff ratio and care provided with government quality control. The state's intervention was measured as social spending on families as proportions of GDP and total social spending. Our analysis provides empirical evidence that Sweden and France are pioneers in this arena and that the UK, Germany, Korea, and Japan are path-shifters in their care paradigms, albeit to varying degrees. Is the social investment approach an adequate paradigm for care? In a normative sense, this approach has potential. However, the following issues remain unaddressed: gender equality should be achieved through an expansion in good-quality jobs, fathers should be encouraged to take on childcare duties, and families should have universal access to good-quality childcare services controlled by the government.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.3-13
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• 2021

Introduced in 2004 as an 'After-School Academy' policy, the 'After-School Care Class' has become a universal program for elementary schools over time. While the concept of public education service has expanded and changed in various ways including educational welfare, the physical environment of the care classroom has undergone fixed changes within the uniform classroom structure of a standardized school space. The purpose of this study is to identify spatial characteristics of care classroom through chasing and analysing changes in the care class space configuration from 2004 to the present. The findings are as follows. The plan of the early care classroom wasn't much different from the existing common classroom, and it was only in 2007 that the kitchen and floor heating appeared for the first time.From the 2015 standard plan, prominent differentiation of the space between learning activities and resting area was shown, but the spatial characteristics are nothing more than a division that utilizes ready-made furniture. A distinctive feature of the 2018 Seoul care classes are diversity. In the case of the care exclusive classrooms, the division between the support space and the main activity space became more clear using furniture integrated open walls and various floor levels. In the case of a shift classrooms that is used together with common classrooms, it is characterized by flexibility that allows dramatically different classroom configurations for each time period by using a convertible furnishing space.