The Ministry of Education is easing establishment standards for national and public daycare centers to improve accessibility in childcare-underserved areas and strengthening local government responsibility for financing public-type daycare center operations. The ministry also plans to streamline childcare-related regulations through discussions with field officials.
The Ministry of Education and the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education announced Wednesday that they will hold a joint training workshop on "Expansion of National and Public Daycare Centers and Public-Type Daycare Support Policies" from July 9 to 10. Approximately 150 local government officials in charge of childcare affairs will attend to share major changes and policy directions for the 2026 childcare program.
The ministry plans to outline changes to the national and public daycare center expansion program at the workshop. To improve childcare access in underserved areas such as islands, remote regions and farming and fishing villages, the ministry will allow the establishment of small-scale branch facilities. Previously, only facilities capable of caring for at least 11 children could be established, but going forward, branches accommodating 5 to 20 children will be permitted. The operational burden will also be reduced by allowing existing daycare center directors to manage branch facilities without requiring a separate director appointment.
Support for establishing daycare centers within school complex facilities will also be expanded. When national and public daycare centers are established and operated within school complex facilities, installation costs will be subsidized, and projects that include such facilities may receive priority selection in public tenders.
The operating model for public-type daycare centers will also be adjusted. The ministry plans to share revisions to the 2026 operational manual and emphasize that local governments need to maintain consistent budget allocations for stable operations. The ministry explained that local government roles have grown as the public-type daycare support program was transferred to local general projects under fiscal decentralization.
Discussions on regulatory improvements reflecting field input will also take place. Through the workshop, the ministry plans to identify regulatory reform tasks related to childcare and review legislative amendments if necessary. Measures to adjust the current requirement mandating national and public daycare centers in apartment complexes of 500 or more units — aligning the standard with regional infant and toddler populations and fiscal conditions — will be discussed. Revisions to daycare class operation standards aimed at easing enrollment waitlists will also be reviewed.
The two-day workshop will cover guidance on the national and public daycare expansion program, explanations of public-type daycare support projects, a survey of regulatory reform needs and training on long-term lease programs. The second day will include sharing of regionally specialized public-type daycare operation cases and guidance on childcare activity protections.
"We will continue to support daycare center expansion tailored to regional conditions and pursue institutional improvements that reflect field input," a Ministry of Education official said.