Despite a decline in infants and toddlers driven by low birth rates, the waiting periods to enter daycare centers nationwide have grown longer, increasing the burden on parents.

According to data analyzed by Representative Seo Bum-soo of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, from the Ministry of Education yesterday (October 19), the average waiting period for daycare enrollment nationwide stood at 7.5 months as of the end of June this year.

This is a 2.2-month increase in three and a half years compared to 5.3 months at the end of 2022.

By region, Sejong recorded the longest waiting period at 8.3 months, followed by Seoul at 8.2 months, Gyeonggi at 7.8 months, Busan at 7.7 months, and Daegu at 7.6 months.

The increase in waiting periods was particularly prominent for infant classes catering to children aged zero to two.

The national average waiting period for a 1-year-old class increased by 2.7 months, rising from 5.8 months in 2022 to 8.5 months in June of this year.

Similarly, the average waiting period for public and municipal 1-year-old daycare classes lengthened from 7.9 months to 10.6 months over the same period.

This prolonged waiting time for enrollment is closely linked to the rising number of daycare closures.

Over the past four and a half years, 11,093 daycare centers have shut down nationwide, with family-run and private daycare centers accounting for 92.2 percent of them.

As for the reasons behind the closures, a decrease in the number of children was the most common at 4,871 facilities, followed by financial difficulties.

Representative Seo Bum-soo expressed concern, saying, "While it is said that children are decreasing due to low birth rates, parents still have to wait more than 8 months to enter a daycare center and over 10 months for a public or municipal one, and that waiting period keeps getting longer."

He emphasized, "We must closely analyze actual childcare demand by region and age group, and devise practical measures to shorten the enrollment wait times, especially for infant classes for children aged zero to two."

(Photo provided by Yonhap NewsTV, Yonhap News)