영유아 문화인프라 이용실태와 지원방안

Abstract

In the present study empirically investigated whether there were differences in the usage of cultural infrastructure for infant and young children by income levels and according to the results suggest a few feasible supportive policies that will increase the usage. Thus one thousand parents of infants or young children and five hundred directors of childcare centers/kindergartens were surveyed. In order to analyze the difference in usage according to income levels, low income families were over sampled. The final subjects were 782 families with an average gross income and 218 families with a low level of gross income. The results of the parent survey are as follows. First, average income parents and children visited more frequently more consumptive cultural facilities such as theaters and amusement parks rather than libraries, museums or galleries. Secondly, parents and children of families with low income used libraries, museums and galleries less frequently than families with an average income. During the past year, the number of visits of infants and young children to libraries, museums or galleries was once at the least to 2~5 times which is not considered frequent. Some of the reasons for being unable to use these facilities were 'the young age of the child', 'no cultural facilites in the vicinity', 'not feeling the necessity to use'. Regardless of income levels, visiting playgrounds started at the earliest age (before age 1: 73.6%) and was the most frequent (more than 4 times per month: 77.4%), being the most representative children's facility. Parents expected for a children's library near their neighborhood the most, and followed by children's museum and aquarium/zoo/botanical garden. Furthermore, parents desired their children's childcare centers/kindergartens to frequently visit these facilities. The following are the results of the survey of directors. The most common facility in the vicinity of childcare centers/kindergartens were children's playgrounds. Information on the facilities the centers were planning to visit was usually collected through the websites of these facilities. The main reason for not being able to use these facilities was 'the absence of nearby facilities'. The directors of big city centers requested for 'the diversity of children's programs' whereas middle/small city and small town centers for 'the provision of more cultural facilities'. The most desired facility in the vacinity of these centers were children's libraries as did the parents. On the grounds of these results, the present study suggests the promotion of and expansion of current facilities, an increase in new facilities, expansion of subsidies for low income families, and the provision of larger numbers of mobile facilities for families. As for childcare centers and kindergartens, provision of subsidies for group visits of these facilities, the development of children's programs, and the establishment of a partnership between childcare centers/kindergartens and cultural facilities are a few of the suggestions. Lastly, the provision of ordinances allowing the establishments of diverse cultural infrastructure for infants and young children and the establishment of a infant and young children's department is proposed.