Exploring a Model for Integrated andPreventive Children’s Services in Korea

Bong Joo Lee
Department of Social Welfare
Seoul National University

Child Poverty in Korea
 Increased child poverty inearly 2000’s Why is it a problem?
 Childhood poverty has long
lasting effects on future
outcomes.
 Childhood poverty denies“opportunities” for equal life
chances.

16

14.57

1412

10.97

108.79
7.61

87.68

64

3.63

201996년

2000년

absolute poverty

2004년
relative poverty

 Emerging Consensuses based on Empirical Research (McLoyd, 1998;
Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997; Ku, 2003)
 Childhood poverty has detrimental effects on health, cognitive,social, emotional, and school achievement outcomes.
 Early experience of poverty has the most significant negativeeffects.
 Limitations of the children’s service systems in Korea
 Fragmented
 Problem-focused (as apposed to prevention-focused) Income assistance-focused Importance of early childhood intervention programs in reducing
intergenerational transmission of poverty and inequality  By
investing early in human capital of low income children.

Importance of Early Investment in
Human Capital Low level of investment  Low level of human capital  Low
income (Becker, 1962) Unequal investment during childhood period by families Unequal formation of human capital  Unequal life chances Intergenerational transmission of poverty
 Human capital gaps open up early, long before formal
schooling begins.
 While the overall economic situation has improved
tremendously in past 40 years in Korea, intergenerationaltransmission of inequality has been increasing in recent years(Bang and Kim, 2003; Kim, et al., 2004).
 Income-assistance programs alone are not sufficient to raisechildren’s future  Need a targeted early human capital
investment programs

Human Capital Investment Strategy
 Human capital is a broad concept that includes not only
cognitive abilities but also noncognitive abilities such as
behavioral, emotional, and social skills (Osborne, 2000).
 Intervention strategy should be a comprehensive one Cognitive abilities
 Health Emotional and social functioning

 Early intervention is most cost effective (Heckman & Lochner,2000)
 Younger people have longer horizon
 Skill begets skill ‘Start Programs’ are important vehicle for such earlyintervention and investment
 We Start in Korea
 Head Start in US
 Sure Start in UK

We Start Project in Korea
2004.6. Conclusion of an agreement between Korea National We Start
Association and Gyunggi-Do with the slogan “ending the intergenerationaltransmission of poverty” Gyunggi-Do We Start Neighborhood Making
Project began
2004.7. Three neighborhoods(Ansan, Seongnam, Gunpo) in Gyunggi-Do
were selected as a model area for We Start Neighborhood Making ProjectThe beginning of Korean We Start Project2008. Currently, the project has been expanded to 20 neighborhoods
throughout the country

2007. The We Start model has been accepted as a national model by
central Korean Government – “Dream Start” program started in 16neighborhoods
2008. Dream Start has been expanded to 32 neighborhoods
2014. Dream Start is now in 220 communities covering all local
government areas in Korea .

What is We Start?
What is We Start?
Korean support program for children in poverty
helping the children from poor families to receive theadequate care by society and government
We: We work together & Welfare+Education
Start : General name used for support programs forchildren in poverty (US: Head Start, UK: Sure Start) What Is We Start Neighborhood?
A model area which provides disadvantaged children withintegrated services of health, education and welfare

The Background of We Start
Neighborhood Making Project inGyunggi-Do
Intergenerational transmissionof poverty: The problem ofsocial integration
Entry into the low-fertility,
aging society: The importance ofinvestment for children
The limitations ofproblem-focused,categorical measures

Need forcommunity-based,
comprehensive
child welfare
program

The Conceptual Framework of We Start
Neighborhood Project in Gyunggi-DoCollaboration
between publicand private agencies

Community지역사회가
based 중심Support fromlocal government

Earlyintervention

Making ofHealth, welfare,educational community

Comprehensive,preventive
Individualized,
high-quality service

Raising children’s future- Equal opportunity for disadvantaged children

Directions for We Start Neighborhood
Making Project in Gyunggi-Do
Healthy Development of Childrenin Community민관이 함께 참여

Comprehensive, prevention-focusedprogram by age group지역사회 건강, 복지,of individualized지역사회가 중심 Provision교육공동체 구축 services예방적 통합적
Empowerment of the community and families고품질 맞춤형서비스지자체가 지원A Healthy BirthChild care,Health,Nutrition
Program

Kindergarten/Education
Program

CaseManagement,
SchoolSocial WorkThe Goal of We Start Neighborhood
Project in Gyunggi-Do
child

Foundations
for the healthy
development
until 12,
Provision ofopportunities
for the future
growthfamilycommunity

Enhancementof family
functioning asa primarycaretaker of thechildren

Making a health,welfare,educational
community forsupporting thehealthy
development ofchildren in theneighborhood

Main Problems of Children Served by We
Start Lack of adequate care within families andneglect problem after school Physical, mental health problem: 37% of
the children were diagnosed Lack of Learning Skill: poor academic
achievement at school Adjustment problem at school Lack of opportunities for various learningand cultural experience Poor parenting skill and low self-esteem ofthe caretakerService Flowchart of Ansan We Start
Case Management Team

NeedAssessment

Various needsof children andtheir families

Direct service provision byage groupServicePlanning

Case Management& Evaluation

Purchase of services
Program development

Community networking

Main Programs of We Start
Health건강ChildCare

Education
WelfareFamilySupportCase Management for Children빈곤아동사례관리Families가족
in Poverty
Developmental Screening
Health protection,Dental care,nutrition
Mental healthenhancement program
Mental health Screening
for school age children
Support for medial cost
Prenatal careHome visitation
programChild care center
Comprehensive
child care services
Small group program
Support for thechildren of foreign
workers

After school program
Enhancement ofacademic achievement
School social work
Cultural experience
activities/
Preparation programfor junior high school
Provision of schoolmeals

Service
networking
Family supportprogram/
Parent self-help
groupParent/teacher
education
Home makerprogramStaff of We Start Project Team• We Start Staffs(Public Officials)
Age Group

Main duties

Manager(social welfare)

Overall casemanagement

Supervision of case meeting, service purchase andresource development, service quality management,
service networking among case managers

Healthcoordinator(nursing)

Pregnantwoman
0~2

Case management of pregnant woman, infant andfamilies, health service mediation for children(0-12)
and their families, health networking within thecommunity

Child carecoordinator(child care)

3~6Case management of toddlers and education
program mediation, Management of We Start childcare center, networking of child care centers

Welfarecoordinator(social welfare

7~12Management of study room/school social work,
provision of family support service

Staff of We Start ProjectAgencies• We Start Staffs(Private Providers)
Age Group

Main duties

Home visitation(mental health nurse)

Pregnant
woman
0~2

Main case manager, provision of information and services,and service networking, manager and cooperator of healthservices

We Start child carecenter(daycare teacher1,social worker1)

3~6

Main case manager, provision of comprehensive child careservice, executor of the child care center program

We Start Studyroom(social worker 3)

3~6Study room teacher and case manger
development and application of study room program

We Start Schoolsocial work(2)7~12Case manager for We Start children and referred children
from school, development of school social work programEvaluation of We Start Program Follow-up study of participating children and parents in 3
Gyunggi-Do neigborhoods during 2006
 The evaluation results showed:
 Improvement in health status of infants and toddlers
 Improvement in social functioning of toddlers
 Decrease in problem behaviors of school aged children Improvement in school adjustment of school aged children Improvement in family environment such as parent bonding,parenting attitude

Accomplishment and Implications ofWe Start Project
 Systematic Interventions for Disadvantaged Children
and Their Families
 Development of individualized service system

 Comprehensive Service Delivery System Based on
the Characteristics of Children in Poverty
 Provision of integrated services of health, education
and welfare New Collaboration Model between Public and Private
Agencies and Community Networking Service System
 Mediation of public services and development of new
collaborative service modelChallenges and Implications forWe Start
 Securing stable funding Need to serve as a model program: development ofperformance standards
 Develop and maintain qualified workers
 Need for stronger parent and community involvement
 Improve collaboration among public and private service
providers Need for rigorous evaluation research – to document
program effectiveness and use it as a programsupporting tool