한국아동패널 2014

Abstract

Panel Study on Korean Children(PSKC) is conducted to investigate trace of children's life after birth, performance of parents' role and influence of childcare support policies on future growth and development of children. PSKC 2014 investigated pre-elementary children's growth, development and childcare environment through appropriate research for 6 year olds. The following are key outcomes of the report on PSKC 2014 which was conducted in 2013 among 1,662 families. First, 5 year old panels were in a good condition over average across all aspects of language and cognition, and social emotional development areas. There were differences in work and living hours depending on mother's working status. Occurrence and rate of diagnosis of allergic diseases were somewhat increased vs. previous research. Second, employment rate of mothers in temporary job was higher than father's in the Panel parent's study, and parent's expectation on their child was different by child's gender or order of birth. Third, Panel families were spending one third of family income for their children, and institutions used the most by Panel children were kindergarten, daycare, and private academy of half day program or longer, in the order of choice. Child-to-teacher ratio of the mainly used institution was 16.18 children, and special activities and non-curricular extra-programs were conducted 7.66 times per week, and special activities outside institution were 2.92 times. Fourth, concerning the ECEC institution supply and childcare support infrastructure, there was a highest occupancy ratio of apartment; regarding sufficiency of childcare/education institution at local community, parents felt the number of national/public childcare support institutions and private education institutions was insufficient. Among childcare support systems, Nuri Curriculum, childcare/education expenses support, children health check-up, and mandatory vaccination had high reception rates, receiving opinions that they were helpful overall. As for necessary childcare support systems at workplace, women's maternity leave, childcare expense support, and childcare leave showed highest demands. To summarize, there were significant differences in child's growth and development, and parent's childcare environment according to child's gender, mother's education and family income, mother's working status, size of region, and the order of child birth. A childcare support policy customized by recipient is required so that these differences do not lead to cumulated gap in their developmental course. Also, there is a need to diversify types of childcare support services fit to characteristics of target families, considering changes in household types due to nuclearization, and families with vulnerable elements and socioeconomic deprivation.