Namhae County to Implement 'Dream Start' Program for Vulnerable Children

Namhae County in Gyeongsangnam-do announced on the 23rd that it will officially launch the 2026 'Dream Start Project' to ensure the healthy growth and equal opportunities for children from vulnerable backgrounds. The Dream Start Project provides comprehensive welfare services covering health, nutrition, education, and emotional well-being to children aged 12 and under from vulnerable families, their families, and pregnant women.

Namhae County will operate detailed programs tailored to the developmental stages, family characteristics, and individual needs of 135 children under case management, and expand customized programs considering the child's growth stage and family environment. The main directions of the project include strengthening growth support by developmental stage, improving case management quality through enhanced professionalism, and establishing an integrated welfare system based on community linkages, while also reinforcing cooperation with welfare, health, and education institutions.

Specific initiatives include providing nutritional side dishes and eyeglasses in the physical/health sector, and offering home-visit learning materials and psychological therapy in the cognitive/language sector. In the emotional/behavioral and parent/family sectors, programs such as birthday cake support, career experience opportunities, family camps, and parenting coaching will be implemented.

Kim Gyeong-ju, head of the Resident Happiness Division, stated that the county will connect children with necessary services based on their growth environment and ensure that children and their families receive timely support.