▲ Press Conference for the Full Care Policy Plus (Director General of Population Strategy Bureau)

▲ The Full Care Policy at a Glance Panel

To overcome the low birth rate crisis, Chungcheongnam-do is launching the 'Strong Chungnam Full Care Policy Plus,' a significantly enhanced and expanded version of its existing 'Strong Chungnam Full Care Policy.'

The core of this initiative is to strengthen public responsibility across the entire life cycle—spanning pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, caregiving, work-life balance, and the creation of a family-friendly culture.

Kim Jong-soo, Director General of the provincial Population Strategy Bureau, held a press conference at the provincial office's press center on the 10th to announce the details of the 'Strong Chungnam Full Care Policy Plus' plan.

This plan was developed in response to the growing need for more robust and comprehensive measures tailored to local conditions to tackle the declining birth rate. It consists of 12 initiatives organized into 4 packages, backed by a total budget of 32.6 billion won.

◇ The 'Pregnancy and Childbirth Package': Safeguarding the Miracle of Birth

To alleviate the financial burden on prospective parents and provide a high-quality foundation for childbirth, the province is rolling out four key initiatives: △ Medical expense support for pregnant women aged 35 and older (New) △ Financial support for fertility treatments with no restrictions on age, income, or number of attempts (New) △ Establishment of 'Regional Psychological Counseling Centers for Infertility and Pregnancy' to support expecting families (New) △ Expansion of public postpartum care centers (Improved).

For pregnant women aged 35 and older, medical expenses of up to 500,000 won per pregnancy will be provided. This aims to prevent high-risk births among older mothers and alleviate their financial burden. Furthermore, financial support for fertility treatments, previously capped at 25 attempts, has been expanded to offer unlimited access.

Additionally, the province will strengthen emotional support by establishing regional counseling centers dedicated to psychological therapy for infertility and pregnancy. It also plans to bridge the gap in childbirth infrastructure across different regions by gradually expanding public postpartum care centers, prioritizing cities and counties that currently lack such facilities.

◇ The 'Small Business Childcare Support Package': Championing Childcare for the Self-Employed

For the self-employed and small business owners, two new tailored childcare support initiatives will be launched: △ Funding for substitute labor costs during maternity/paternity leave and △ Childcare service support for small business owners.

To prevent business interruptions due to childbirth, small business owners will receive up to 1 million won per month for a maximum of three months to cover substitute labor costs when they or their spouses have a child. Moreover, small business owners and their employees raising children under the age of 12 will be eligible for up to 3.6 million won annually to help cover the costs of childcare services.

◇ The 'Childcare and Caregiving Package': Raising Children Together with Parents and the Community

Three initiatives—△ Improving the operation of 365x24 daycare centers, △ Expanding the operation of village care centers, and △ Increasing voluntary closure subsidies for daycare centers—are designed to upgrade and efficiently restructure the existing Full Care system.

The 365 days, 24-hour daycare centers will elevate the quality of care by incorporating specialized programs such as art, music, and physical play. Village care centers will be gradually expanded to 50 locations, and 20 'Vacation ON Care Centers' will be operated to eliminate caregiving gaps during school holidays.

In addition, reflecting feedback from the field, the financial subsidy provided for the voluntary closure of private and home-based daycare centers—which are struggling financially due to the declining infant population—will be increased to a maximum of 15 million won.

◇ The 'Child-Rearing-Friendly Culture Package': Making Chungnam a Place Where Children Are Welcomed Everywhere

To shift the societal atmosphere and encourage the widespread adoption of a culture that prioritizes and accommodates the happiness of children, the province has prepared two improved initiatives and one brand-new initiative.

First, to foster a culture of flexible working, the province will actively promote and enhance the △ "Childbirth and Childcare 4+4 System" (Improved), which pairs the existing four-day workweek with a 4:00 PM clock-out time. Furthermore, it will upgrade the priority entry system for expecting mothers and those with young children by introducing a △ "Three-Tier Support Set for Pregnant Women and Families with Young Children" (Improved). This will include operating designated family zones and offering discounted admission fees.

Alongside these efforts, the province plans to designate family-friendly restaurants and similar establishments as △ "Welcome Kids Zones" (New). By providing financial support to these businesses for purchasing child-friendly amenities, the province aims to help foster a societal atmosphere where children are always welcome.

For the Full Care Policy Plus, initiatives that are ready for immediate rollout will be implemented right away. For projects requiring advanced preparation, the province plans to complete all necessary preliminary steps—such as consultations on establishing new social security frameworks—during the first half of the year. Once supplementary budgets are secured, these remaining projects will be launched in full scale in the second half of the year.

Like spurring a galloping horse to go even faster, we will double down on our efforts to overcome the low birth rate crisis, Director General Kim stated. "Rather than an administration that simply tells people to have children, we will be an administration that makes raising children truly feasible, realizing a 'Chungnam that takes full responsibility for a child from birth to adulthood.'"

Meanwhile, the province has been driving its original Full Care Policy since 2024, fundamentally transforming the local childcare and caregiving landscape. Key milestones have included operating 24/7 daycare and child care hub centers, introducing family caregiving allowances, subsidizing childcare fees for foreign residents' children, and implementing a four-day workweek. Thanks to these dedicated efforts, Chungnam's total fertility rate has successfully rebounded from its previous decline, reaching 0.95 in the third quarter of last year—an increase of 0.03 compared to the same period the year prior.

Department: Population Policy Team, Population Policy Division

Phone: 041-635-4862