한국 영유아 교육·보육 패널 연구 2025 (Korean ECEC Panel Study)

Abstract

The Korean Early Childhood Education and Care Panel Study is a longitudinal study that follows children born in 2022. It aims to collect longitudinal data on the growth and development of young children, as well as on the ecological systems surrounding them, including caregiving at home, intrinsic and extrinsic parental factors, educational and caregiving experiences in institutions, and environmental influences from the prenatal stage through infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood. This study is conducted to identify the environmental factors that influence the growth and development of infants and young children, and to build foundational data for evaluating and formulating policies that support their happy and healthy lives.

The objectives of the 2025 study are as follows. 1)The 4th-year survey collects data on child development and multiple layers of environmental systems. 2) Following earlier release of Wave 1 data, the panel study additionally open Wave 2 data to domestic and international researchers, thereby expanding the availability of high-quality research resources. 3) Ultimately, the panel study aims to provide foundational evidence for explaining early childhood development trajectories and identifying factors that influence developmental outcomes.

In the 4th wave of the study, the panel children reached approximately 36 months of age, corresponding to the childcare age group of two-year-olds. A variety of research methods were used to conduct this study, including literature reviews, the 4th-wave survey, expert advisory meetings, conferences and a data briefing. The 4th wave in 2025 was conducted with a valid sample of 2,845 cases and an additional 450 sample cases. The primary caregiver and parent surveys were administered through a combination of in-home interviews and online questionnaires, while the childcare center teacher surveys were conducted online. The surveys covered child characteristics, the family’s parenting environment (including parental and household characteristics), the education and childcare environment (including characteristics of childcare institutions and childcare support services), and the community and policy environment.

The 2025 report presents the findings from the second survey conducted in 2024. The key findings are as follows. Child Characteristics: 1) Children slept an average of 9.94 hours at night and 1.58 hours during the day. 2) Among children using digital media, 90.2% watched videos, 85.7% played games, and 16.5% used educational apps. 3) Although the participation rate in general infant health checkups exceeded 90%, the rate for dental checkups was below 80%. Parenting Environment: 1) Mothers were the primary caregivers in 94.1% of cases, while fathers’ caregiving increased to over 28% during evening hours. 2) Parenting stress and burden increased slightly compared to the previous year. 3) Approximately 11% of parents were in the potential risk group and about 3% were in the high-risk group for smart media overdependence. 4) The maternal employment rate exceeded 60%, reflecting an increase of about 10 percentage points from the previous year. Mothers reported slightly higher work–family conflict than fathers. Childcare and Education Environment: 1) Among panel children, 93.2% were enrolled in childcare centers, with the average age at enrollment being 16.09 months. 2) About 22% participated in private supplementary education, spending an average of 128,800 KRW per month. 3) Children’s lead teachers worked an average of 8.44 hours per weekday. Community and Policy Environment: 1) Caregivers generally evaluated their communities positively, although scores were comparatively lower for transportation safety and accessibility. Evaluations varied by household income and region size. 2) Regarding priorities for childcare policy, fathers ranked their top concerns as “increased subsidies and benefits”, “enhanced childcare functions of institutions”, and “strengthened systems enabling parents to care for their children”, in that order. Mothers prioritized “increased subsidies and benefits”, “strengthened systems supporting parental caregiving”, and “enhanced institutional childcare functions”.

Analyses of Waves 1–3 revealed that: 1) Based on the 2017 Korean growth charts, children’s height was within the average range, and their weight was within the average to above-average range. 2) Many children classified as developmentally delayed in Wave 1 showed natural recovery over time. 3) Some children who exhibited no early delays displayed developmental delays at age two (Wave 3), leading to a higher proportion of recommended in-depth assessments in this wave.

Recommendations for future research include: Child Development Research: 1) In-depth analyses of early developmental disparities and their early consolidation. 2) Examinations of cases in which early delays gradually resolve. 3) Longitudinal studies leveraging extended panel data. 4) Policy research to establish a Korean early developmental monitoring framework based on time-series analyses. Family and Home Environment Research: 1) Studies that further differentiate and specify factors within the home environment. 2) Research supporting parents’ psychological well-being. ECEC Environment Research: 1) Studies on how the physical and emotional environments of childcare centers affect young children and families. 2) Foundational research aimed at improving ECEC services. Community Environment Research: Analyses of regional disparities in access to infrastructure and service utilization.

Future directions for panel implementation include: 1) Conducting attrition analyses to develop multifaceted strategies for managing panel households. 2) Evaluating and applying the long-term effects of sample maintenance strategies. 3) Strengthening the role of field interviewers. 4) Promoting institutional survey objectives and benefits to encourage participation.