It is a national problem that children under six could be grown and raised soundly as future protagonists. Korea has need of child care service because of the increasing of women’s participation in economic field and the changing of family types. At the time of the late in 2012, the number of children attending child care center is one million and 480 thousand and the number of child care center is 42 thousand. In spite of this quantitative spread, our nation’s birthrate is mere 1.23 persons (2012) and this is the lowest level among the OECD members. So, in order to raise the birthrate, this nation is in need of the integral attention and supporting.
The characteristics of architectural environments of child care center are as follows. Firstly, it needs healthy child caring ecosystem. Secondly, it needs architectural environment to make high children’s particular spirit of curiosity and sensibility. Thirdly, it needs consideration points of architectural planning reflected characteristics of infants and preschool children.
The present situation of the child care center and issues are as follows. Firstly, there is lack of consistency in administration over the each ministries and local autonomous entity as a present situation of the administration’s system. Secondly, the ratio of capability strengthening expenses to child care budget currently stands at mere 0.56% and continuous decreasing of it could not give satisfaction for needs as the present child care budget and problems. Third problem is the legal minimum area of child care center. This minimum has not been changed for 20 years since the law had been set in the socioeconomic changes of condition. During this term, national income reached the triple point and dwelling area two times during the same term. This minimum area must be readjust to a realistic level.
The followings are the suggestions for the improvement of environmental design for the child care center. The first suggestion is the problem about the child care policy and the facility plan. The ratio of the capability strengthening expense in child care budget to national income(GDP) places currently stands at 12% must be raised up in securing budget. And in the child care committee, participation of architectural environment specialists must be done with the new erection of overall omnibus organization related to child care center. The second suggestion is the problem about facility plan. The assurances of sufficient expense and the realization of legal minimum area must be secured. As a third suggestion, the adoption of the method for design competition, preparation of guidelines for architectural design and construction, reinforcement of consulting with a specialist must be solved as the problem of the design and construction.
In order to make up-grade of the quality of the standard for child care center, institutional approaching and policy making as well as the approaching of architectural side must be happened coincidently in the paradigm shift. Korea’s per capita income is above 25 thousand dollars and the country became the 19th economic power in the world. National policy was the policy centering economic growth but now is the policy centering welfare. In the planning of the child care center, this mind of welfare must be realized in that plan. And we can supply safe and comfortable space for the children under six and also working mom and the family could live happily with the feeling at home.
And the connection of software and hardware in child care in good child caring ecosystem could solve Korea’s low fertility problem eventually.