• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.29-73
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• 2007

This paper evaluates the effects of the Basic Subsidy Program provided to families with infants cared for in private day care centers. There has been a discrepancy in the price and quality level between public and private day care centers. Public day care centers which receive government support in their labor costs are able to maintain relatively higher quality at lower price than their private counterparts, while the majority of children are cared for at private day care centers. To reduce the gap of the price and quality of care between public and private day care centers by improving the quality and decreasing the price of private day care centers, the Basic Subsidy Program was introduced in 2006 to the private day care centers. The subsidies mainly aim to improve the quality and the accessibility of child care, and encourage mothers' labor supply. For this purpose, the provision of the Basic Subsidy Program imposed prerequisites to the care providers including minimum wage and four major insurances for teachers, and child-staff ratio. I examine whether the subsidies improve the quality of care, help mothers balancing work and family, and increase satisfaction with child care from mothers' perspective. Since the outcome variables that measure the quality of care are difficult to obtain, I instead use the input variables for quality production. Child-staff ratio, teachers' welfare, and care environment are considered. The relationship between these variables and the introduction of subsidies is examined. The 2004 National Survey of Child Care and Education and the 2004 National Survey of Day Care Centers are used for the base data set. To reflect the outcomes after the Basic Subsidy Program, equivalent data sets for households and care providers are constructed by the KDI Data Analysis Unit. Using these nationally representative data sets, information regarding child care is collected. The findings show that the subsidies contribute to the quality of care improving the input variables of quality production. The welfare of teachers is improved, and the child-staff ratio significantly decreases. As a result, the usage of private day care centers greatly increases even though the price level rarely changes. However, mothers' satisfaction with child care are rarely affected by the subsidies. Although the subsidies with no eligibility criteria enlarge the recipients, the actual effects to increase maternal labor supply or to improve satisfaction is limited. Given this findings, I suggest some modifications of subsidies to raise the effectiveness of the subsidy program.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.87-97
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• 2015

This study aims to examine how home child care allowance influences a mother's choice of child care type. To accomplish this goal, we surveyed 432 mothers who had at least one child under 5 years old. The data were analyzed by frequencies, percentages, means and binomial logistic regressions. The results showed that unemployed mothers and mothers with younger children had a high tendency to choose home child care allowance instead of child care subsidy. Second, mother's employment status, age of first child and an interactive term of mother's employment status and home child care receipt influenced a concordance between an ideal and actual child care type. Unemployed mothers and mothers with younger children were more likely to experience a concordance between their ideal and actual types of child care. By investigating how home child care allowance affects the right of choice in child care type, this study provides empirical information to policy makers and researchers and contributes to develop cash-benefit policies for families with young children.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2024

In this study, the food service management levels of cafeterias in childcare facilities were investigated based on the number of meal recipients and the working status of the kitchen staff. The study included 199 childcare facilities nationwide that received food supplies from the food ingredients distribution company, Pulmuone Foodmerce, from 2021 to 2022. The assessment was conducted using 61 inspection items. The analysis revealed that, as the number of meal recipients and kitchen staff members decreased, the documentation of inspection results was less likely to be conducted (P<0.05). Facilities with fewer meal recipients showed less adequate health status checks for kitchen staff, and those with fewer kitchen staff showed insufficient compliance with hygienic clothing (P<0.05). Additionally, facilities with fewer meal recipients showed a higher frequency of lapses in checking the expiration dates of stored ingredients (P<0.05), requiring increased management attention. They also exhibited the absence of internal temperature measurement records during heating processes (P<0.05). Furthermore, facilities with fewer meal recipients demonstrated inadequate maintenance of kitchen facilities (P<0.05). Significantly higher adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were detected on the hands and cutting boards of the kitchen staff in facilities with fewer meal recipients and fewer kitchen staff (P>0.05). Overall, facilities with fewer meal recipients exhibited insufficient infrastructure management for kitchen operations and inadequate hygiene management. These results are expected to provide foundational data for the selection of national support programs for childcare facilities in the future.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.714-728
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• 2016

This research aims to categorize factors affecting reluctance of second childbirth among working mothers using Q methodology. P sample holds 50 working mothers between 20 and 45 years old living in Daegu-Gyeongbuk area. After securing the total 72 statements, the final 24 Q samples were confirmed through the second classification. As a result of this study, three types of the working mothers were classified. The first type that 22 working mothers (44%) were classified was "having uncooperative spouse". The second type which 13 working mothers (26%) were included was "working at not family-friendly workplace". Lastly, eight working mothers (16%) belonged to the third type, "having financial difficulty". Therefore, this study could confirm that the working mothers evade their second childbirth mostly because of the insufficient childcare support both at home and at work, rather than economic reasons. Thus, this study suggests that the Korean government should try to spread work-family balance culture than just providing financial support in order to encourage the second childbirth among working mothers.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.35-60
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• 2016

This study analyzes the unequal distributional effect of threesome of family policy(child benefit, childcare services and parental leave) focusing on family income, mother's status in labor market in Korea. To measure the unequal distributional effect of family policies, this study used the quantile analysis. The results of this study are as follows. First, in terms of childcare service and parental leave, there is some difference of the rate of use by family income and mother's status in labor market. Second, total public fund for childcare services, child benefits and parental leave are high in fourth income quintile, and mothers work regularly. Third, public fund is high in fourth income quintile, dual earners, mothers work regularly, the family has many number of child, and is high educational level of parents. Finally, the results of quantile regression show the biggest factors of unequal distribution of family policy are mother's stable work and it deepens the inequalities and differences. Based on these results, this article suggests that more equal right to access and use family policy regardless of the type of employment, adequate minimum income through income transfer, and universal application of the policy.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.332-345
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• 2020

This study sought to explore the demand in the social service sector and present policy implications, focusing on the vulnerable in rural villages exposed to worse conditions amid the Covid-19 crisis. To this end, the social service needs of vulnerable groups by household type were analyzed by utilizing the raw data of the 2018 Survey on Rural Well-Being. Analysis showed that the greatest demand social services for all rural villages, the elderly, the disabled, one-person, one elderly and low-income households were income support services, while in household that included children the demand was for childcare and education-related services. The second-highest social services in terms of demand were cultural leisure vacation support services for all rural villages, healthcare-related services for the elderly, the disabled, one elderly and low-income households, cultural leisure vacation support services for households including children and daily life support services for single-person households. Based on these results, a measure was proposed to support social services, tailored to vulnerable groups in rural villages. In addition, the government's lack of a consultation system between urban and rural welfare policies, such as a basic plan for health and welfare in rural villages, led this paper to discuss the need for a feedback function and dedicated formulation of mid- to long-term policies in rural villages. It also proposed the establishment of conditions for providing customized social services for rural villages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.613-623
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine parents' perceptions towards the importance and performance levels of foodservices quality at kindergartens. The questionnaire was developed to measure the thirty-one quality attributes of foodservice operations. A questionnaire survey was conducted to 500 parents and the return rates were 62.4%. The survey period was from July 15 to August 8, 2008. The parents had a high level of perception toward the need for foodservice, earning 4.46 points out of 5 point. Their perceptions of foodservice quality were examined by six dimensions of importance and performance level. While the parents gave 4 points or greater of 5 points to most quality attributes of importance level, they gave 4 points or less out of 5 points to most quality attributes of performance level. As for the importance and performance level of the quality dimensions of foodservice, parents regarded sanitation as the most important dimension. IPA showed that 'ventilation', 'sanitation of tableware' and 'sanitation of dining tables and chairs' were included as 'focus' areas. The overall satisfaction level for foodservice was 3.74 out of 5 points A higher level of satisfaction was shown at self-operated foodservice system of kindergartens. According to multiple regression analysis, 46.3% of the variance in the respondents' overall satisfaction scores was explained by factors such as food, menu and price, facilities, sanitation, atmosphere and foodservice effects.