South Korea launched a pilot program aimed at addressing its declining population and childcare shortage by hiring immigrant caregivers from the Philippines. The program assists families with children under 12 or those expecting a baby.
The program started in August 2024 and brought in 100 Filipino caregivers. The caregivers work either full-time or part-time and are paid South Korea’s minimum wage of $7 an hour.
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Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon introduced the initiative as a way to support dual-income families struggling with rising childcare costs.
“We wanted to give couples more options so they wouldn’t have to give up on having children due to financial pressures,” Oh said when the program was announced.
However, the program faced challenges early on. Two caregivers left their jobs after they cited poor working conditions, including long commutes and curfews. The two workers were later detained by South Korean immigration authorities after taking illegal cleaning jobs. They were deported in September 2024.
In response to the criticism, the city made adjustments to the program. Officials have eliminated the curfew, reduced commuting distances and switched to more frequent wage payments.
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Critics argue that the program doesn’t solve the underlying issue of childcare being seen as a responsibility primarily for women. They said that perceived responsibility discouraged many families from having more children.
South Korea has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, with an average of 0.72 children per woman. The population decline is already creating labor shortages in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and domestic services.
While the government hopes this program can help ease the childcare burden, experts and advocacy groups question whether it offers a sustainable solution to the larger demographic challenges the country faces.
[craig nigrelli]
WITH ONE OF THE WORLD’S LOWEST FERTILITY RATES, SOUTH KOREA IS FACING A POPULATION CRISIS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS ITS DWINDLING BIRTHRATE AND SEVERE CHILD CARE WORKER SHORTAGE, THE COUNTRY HAS LAUNCHED A NEW PILOT PROGRAM, HIRING CAREGIVERS FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY TO HELP FAMILIES STRUGGLING WITH CHILD CARE COSTS.
THE PROGRAM was launched in august and it BROUGHT 100 FILIPINO CAREGIVERS TO SEOUL TO SUPPORT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UNDER 12 OR THOSE EXPECTING A BABY. THE CAREGIVERS WORK FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME, EARNING AROUND $7 AN HOUR—THE COUNTRY’S MINIMUM WAGE.
SEOUL’S MAYOR INTRODUCED THE INITIATIVE AS A LIFELINE FOR DUAL-INCOME FAMILIES, MANY OF WHOM ARE PUTTING OFF HAVING CHILDREN DUE TO RISING CHILD CARE COSTS. BUT THE PROGRAM HIT A SNAG WHEN TWO CAREGIVERS QUIT THEIR JOBS, CITING LONG COMMUTES AND A STRICT DORMITORY CURFEW AS REASONS FOR LEAVING.
THE TWO WORKERS WERE DETAINED BY SOUTH KOREAN IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES AFTER TAKING UNDER-THE-TABLE CLEANING JOBS, AND THEY WERE DEPORTED SHORTLY AFTER.
IN RESPONSE, THE CITY MADE CHANGES TO IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS. THE CURFEW WAS SCRAPPED, COMMUTING DISTANCES WERE REDUCED, AND WAGES ARE NOW BEING PAID MORE FREQUENTLY.
HOWEVER, CRITICS ARGUE THAT THE PROGRAM IS ONLY A SHORT-TERM FIX. MANY SAY IT DOESN’T ADDRESS THE BIGGER ISSUE: THE OVERWHELMING BURDEN OF CHILD CARE STILL FALLS MOSTLY ON WOMEN, DISCOURAGING MANY FAMILIES FROM HAVING MORE CHILDREN.
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HOPES THE PROGRAM WILL EASE THE CHILD CARE BURDEN FOR SOME, QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT WHETHER IT’S ENOUGH TO PROVIDE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THE COUNTRY’S POPULATION CRISIS.
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