Suwon City Solicits Applications for Suwon Together Care Center Locations

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City will publicly recruit locations for the 'Suwon Together Care Center' from the 25th through March 26.

The installation location must be a space that can be used rent-free for a minimum of 5 years (5-10 years). The center's dedicated floor area must be at least 66㎡, and it must include play spaces (program rooms), activity rooms, office spaces, restrooms, and cooking spaces as needed for care services. The appropriate total area including auxiliary facilities is 100-180㎡.

The centers can be installed in detached houses, apartment complex community facilities, neighborhood commercial facilities (Type 1), facilities for the elderly and children, social welfare facilities, dong administrative welfare centers, and community halls.

Application forms can be downloaded from the Suwon City website (https://www.suwon.go.kr) under 'Announcements/Notifications/Legislative Notice' bulletin board. Completed applications should be submitted by visit, mail, or fax (Suwon City Hall Child Care and Early Childhood Education Division Dream Start Team, Fax: 031-369-2057). Six locations will be selected and announced in April.

The Suwon Together Care Center is a facility that provides care services for all elementary school children (ages 6-12) who need childcare after school. All elementary school students can use the facility regardless of their parents' income level (with priority given to lower-grade students, dual-income families, and children from multi-child families).

The city opened its first location in August 2019, and had opened six locations by last year. The city aims to operate 20 Together Care Centers by 2022. The plan is to open six locations this year and eight in 2022.

The center provides meals and snacks to children and operates experience activities, educational, cultural, artistic, sports, play, tutoring, and specialized programs. It is open Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m. (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. during school breaks).

A city official stated, "The Suwon Together Care Center is a facility where parents who find it difficult to care for their children due to dual incomes can safely entrust their children," and added, "If idle spaces are utilized as Together Care Centers, it will provide significant help to parents raising children."