Survey shows parents want higher child-rearing subsidy

By a2017001

Published : May 10, 2017 - 09:59 Updated : May 10, 2017 - 09:59

A majority of mothers receiving a state subsidy for child rearing are dissatisfied with the system, including the amount and method of payment, a report released Wednesday showed.

The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education carried out a survey from July 20 to Aug. 30 last year on 1,302 women with children aged up to 5. Results included in the report showed that 66.9 percent of them had received government allowances for raising children at home. Asked to grade the subsidy system between 1 (very dissatisfied) to 4 (very satisfied), the respondents gave the average score of 2.4, close to 2 points (generally dissatisfied).

(Yonhap)

The government started the subsidy system in March 2013 to encourage parents to better bond with their children by caring for them at home and lessen their use of daycare centers. The amount of the allowance was set uniformly, regardless of household income, according to each child's age at between 100,000 won ($88.27) and 200,000 won.

The subsidies, however, are less than the amount of government assistance for parents who need to send their children to daycare centers or kindergartens. From July last year, parents can receive between 220,000 won and 825,000 won, depending on the hours of use.

Survey results said 61 percent of the women who received child rearing subsidies wanted a higher amount of allowances, while 23 percent said the paid amount should differ according to family income.

Among those who wanted a higher subsidy, 75.7 percent said the paid sum fell short of actual money spent on their children, while 24.3 percent cited the differences in amount with parents who use daycare centers. (Yonhap)