The Ministry of Education said Tuesday that children aged 4 and 5 will be eligible to receive education and childcare subsidies starting in March 2026.
The measure is part of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s broader pledge to expand state support for early childhood care. The ministry began subsidizing parents of 5-year-olds in 2025 and plans to extend the benefit to 4-year-olds this year, with coverage for 3-year-olds slated for 2027.
According to a survey conducted by Statistics Korea in December 2025, spending on kindergarten tuition by parents of 5-year-olds fell 26.6 percent year-on-year after the support scheme was introduced.
With the policy expansion, the number of children eligible for subsidies will increase from 278,000 in 2025 to 503,000 in 2026. The ministry’s budget for the program will also nearly quadruple, from 128.9 billion won ($87.9 million) to 470.3 billion won.
Subsidy amounts vary depending on the type of institution. Parents of children enrolled in public kindergartens will receive 20,000 won per month, while those with children in private kindergartens will receive 110,000 won per month. Children attending daycare centers will receive 70,000 won per month.
The subsidies correspond to the average amount parents spend on childcare at each type of institution. The ministry has branded the initiative as “free education and childcare,” saying the subsidies would fully offset costs for parents whose expenses align with the average.
Parents are not required to apply separately. The subsidy will be automatically deducted from kindergarten tuition or other required childcare expenses.
Kang Min-kyu, director general for early childhood education policy at the Education Ministry, said the government will continue expanding support.
“We will ensure that our children are guaranteed equal opportunities from the starting line of life and that parents can ease their concerns and financial burden in raising their children,” he said.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
