Nowon-gu's sick-child care program named top government innovation, set to go nationwide

A sick-child integrated care service pioneered by Seoul's Nowon-gu has been recognized by the central government as the country's top innovation case.

Nowon-gu announced it was selected as the top institution in the "youth welfare felt by residents" category at the 2026 Government Innovation Firsts and Bests competition, jointly organized by the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Korea Institute of Public Administration.

The Government Innovation Firsts and Bests program identifies innovation cases that have made a tangible difference in people's lives and certifies them as either the first of their kind or the top performer in their field. This year, 10 cases were chosen through written evaluations, an online public vote and a comprehensive review panel. Nowon-gu was named one of two top institutions in the youth welfare category and will receive a prize of 4 million won ($3,000).

The recognition carries particular weight as it validates both the policy impact and long-term sustainability of the sick-child integrated care service that Nowon-gu became the first district in the country to introduce in 2019.

The program steps in when a child falls suddenly ill or a guardian cannot provide direct care due to work or other commitments, offering a one-stop public service covering everything from accompanying the child to a hospital to providing bedside care.

Children aged 48 months and older through elementary school age are eligible. Under the hospital accompaniment service, a dedicated child-care worker travels to wherever the child is and stays with the child through the medical appointment and the trip home. The service covers not only general consultations and routine checkups but also developmental treatment and psychological counseling.

The bedside care service is staffed by a nurse based at the center, who monitors the child's health and provides nursing care, medication guidance and care programs.

Usage has grown consistently since the center opened in 2019. Through Sept. 30 this year, cumulative membership stood at 4,647 and total service cases reached 8,692 — 6,526 hospital accompaniment cases and 2,166 bedside care cases. Average user satisfaction over the past three years has reached 94.6 percent.

The program has also spread well beyond Nowon-gu. A total of 23 local governments and related agencies across the country have benchmarked the model, cementing it as a leading example of publicly led child care.

Beyond sick-child care, Nowon-gu has been expanding a range of community-based care policies designed to meet the diverse needs of families raising children.

The Nowon Easy Taxi service provides households raising infants aged 36 months or younger, as well as couples undergoing fertility treatment, with up to 10 dedicated vehicle rides per year to medical institutions and child-care facilities. As of the end of September, the service had logged 2,035 cumulative trips and 2,836 registered members.

The Aihu Center network, first introduced nationwide in 2018, now operates 28 locations across the district, providing after-school care and meals.

Together, these initiatives form a community-centered care system built around the realities of family life — accompanying children to the hospital when they are sick, providing bedside care when parents cannot be present, and offering a safe after-school environment.

"This recognition as the top institution in the government innovation competition is the fruit of our consistent efforts to acknowledge the real difficulties parents face when their child is ill and to address those difficulties as a public responsibility," Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o said. "We will continue to build a seamless care environment where parents can raise their children with peace of mind and children receive the care they need at the moment they need it."