The usage of the nighttime extended childcare program, which can be utilized when guardians have urgent circumstances at night and have difficulty caring for their children, has surpassed 300,000 cases in just nine months since its implementation.

The National Center for the Rights of the Child announced that the total usage of 347 nighttime extended childcare facilities nationwide from January to September of this year reached 301,668 cases.

The nighttime extended childcare program is an emergency care service that safely looks after children when guardians face urgent situations during the night, and has been in operation since January of this year.

Any child aged 6 to 12 in urgent need of nighttime care can use the facilities.

The facilities operate on weekdays from 6 PM until 10 PM or midnight, depending on the facility type.

Parents, other direct lineal ascendants, or other legal guardians can apply to use the facilities through the main phone number (1522-1318), and the daily usage fee is autonomously determined by each facility within the limit of 5,000 won.

Currently, 347 institutions nationwide have been selected and are operating as participating organizations for the nighttime extended childcare program, with the vast majority—311 locations—staying open until 10 PM.

(Photo provided by the National Center for the Rights of the Child, Yonhap News)