Local Governments Compete Over Postpartum Care Cost Support
As Gyeonggi Province decided to end its postpartum care cost support program at the end of this month, cities and counties are reviewing plans to continue the program with their own budgets. Postpartum care support helps ease the financial burden on families with newborns.
According to Yonhap News' reporting on the 17th, Gyeonggi Province's postpartum care support program provided 500,000 won worth of local currency to families with newborns, with the budget split equally between the province and its cities and counties. Governor Choo Mi-ae decided to halt the program at the end of this month, saying that the program's budget was originally allocated for only nine months and there were no funds to cover the remaining three months. As the province decided to end the program over fiscal difficulties, protest calls from childbirth families poured into public health centers across cities and counties.
Hwaseong City is preparing a plan to fully cover postpartum care costs for families with newborns in the fourth quarter (October-December) of this year with its own budget. The city is reviewing a plan to include fourth-quarter support in next year's main budget and provide retroactive support early next year. Assuming more than 10,000 births within the city this year, Hwaseong has estimated fourth-quarter support costs at around 1.5 billion won. A city official said, "While support for childbirth families will increase next year, families with newborns in the fourth quarter of this year would not receive the 500,000 won in postpartum care support, including those benefits. Considering fairness, we are exploring various ways to ensure that postpartum care support is also provided to fourth-quarter families."
Siheung, Uiwang, and Seongnam, among others, continue to run their own programs providing 500,000 won from municipal budgets, separate from the provincial program. Siheung and Uiwang provide 500,000 won to all families with newborns within their jurisdictions, while Seongnam provides it to families earning 80% or less of the median income.
Pyeongtaek City has decided to launch support from its own budget starting next year and is preparing to enact the "Pyeongtaek City Postpartum Care Support Ordinance." Gyeonggi's Gwangju City also plans to provide 500,000 won per person to families with newborns starting next year once its proposed "Ordinance on Expanding Pregnancy and Childbirth Support," currently in pre-announcement, is finalized. However, because Pyeongtaek and Gwangju will begin support next year, families with newborns in the fourth quarter of this year will be excluded from the benefits.
