Seoul is strengthening its integrated public-private support system for young caregivers. On the morning of the 10th, at Seoul City Hall, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with six companies and organizations, including the Mirae Asset Park Hyeon-joo Foundation, Beautiful Foundation, Lotte Department Store, Hope Friend Global Poverty Solution, Hanwha Life, and World Vision, to support young caregivers.
According to the agreement, the Mirae Asset Park Hyeon-joo Foundation and Beautiful Foundation will provide exchange-traded funds (ETFs) worth 4 million KRW per person to 25 young caregivers, investing a total of 200 million KRW. In addition, they will enhance the financial capabilities of the youth through economic and financial education and management reports.
Lotte Department Store and Global Poverty Solution will spend 400 million KRW to provide counseling services to 200 young caregivers and their families at four psychological counseling centers. They will also provide emotional support such as scholarships and self-help groups.
Hanwha Life and World Vision will offer daily care services such as remote cleaning and laundry to alleviate the caregiving burden on young caregivers. They plan to merge the data of 2,515 young caregivers currently supported by World Vision with those targeted by Seoul, allowing for unified application and comprehensive support from both sides.
The agreement ceremony was hosted by anchor Lee Ju-bin, a young caregiver herself. Two young caregivers attended the event and shared their thoughts.
From mid-June, Seoul will finalize the details and application criteria of each institution’s support, and applications will be received sequentially through the Seoul Welfare Foundation’s Family Care Support Team. Young caregivers can apply for the required services via phone, welfare portal, or KakaoTalk channel.
Since August 2023, Seoul has been supporting young caregivers’ housing, medical, and livelihood needs in cooperation with public and private institutions. By the end of April this year, a total of 2,191 cases of irregular and on-demand support had been provided.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “Today’s agreement is significant because it allows young caregivers to establish a sustainable livelihood by going beyond financial and economic support to include financial education and psychological counseling.” He added, “We will continue to make efforts so Seoul’s support, in partnership with the private sector, can become a starting point for changing the lives of young caregivers.”