As of this year, childcare services in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province are being strengthened through expanded government support eligibility and the introduction of a national qualification system. Jeonbuk National University (JBNU)'s Healthy Family Support Project Group (Director: Professor Jeong Yujin, Department of Child Studies) will assume overall support for childcare and work to improve its quality.

This reform follows the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's "2026 Childcare Support Program Guidelines" and centers on expanding government support eligibility and introducing a national qualification system for care personnel. JBNU will, in line with these policy changes, take charge of on-the-ground implementation across the province, including supporting the operation of childcare service providers, workforce development, and building an education system.

First, from this year, government support for childcare services will be expanded to households with incomes at or below 250% of the median income. Dual-income households that previously exceeded the 200% median income threshold and did not receive support will now be eligible.

In addition, annual government-supported hours for households with high care burdens, such as single-parent, grandparent-led, and households with a parent with disabilities, will be increased from 960 hours to 1,080 hours.

JBNU plans to strengthen cooperative systems with childcare service providers across the province and to systematically provide guidance and administrative support to user households so that these system changes have practical effects on the ground.

In particular, additional support for depopulating areas will be fully implemented through the regional support system operated by JBNU. The government will provide an additional 10% subsidy on user co-payments for childcare services. In Jeonbuk, the ten cities and counties targeted are Gochang, Gimje, Namwon, Muju, Buan, Sunchang, Imsil, Jangsu, Jeongeup, and Jinan.

Also, with the national qualification system for childcare providers coming into effect from April 23, JBNU will play a key role in strengthening the professionalism of care personnel. Existing childcare aides will be converted into nationally certified "childcare providers" whose qualifications and expertise are recognized by the state. JBNU will enhance training curricula and implement systematic initial and continuing education to meet the qualification requirements.

Through linked training with JBNU's Department of Child Studies, the university will work to enhance the professionalism of care personnel and support the implementation on the ground of government measures to improve compensation, such as night emergency care allowances and infant and toddler care allowances.

Kim Byung-su, Director of the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Childcare Regional Support Center, said, "Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) is taking on the role of building an implementation foundation so that childcare policy does not remain in administration but is felt in residents' daily lives. We will create a safer and more reliable Jeonbuk-style childcare environment centered on professionally qualified care personnel."

He added, "Through close cooperation with JBNU's Department of Child Studies, we will systematize workforce development and retraining to simultaneously achieve quantitative expansion and qualitative improvement of care personnel."