Nowon-gu named top government innovation agency for sick-child care program

Seoul's Nowon-gu announced Monday that its integrated sick-child care service — the first of its kind in the country — has been named the top domestic institution in the "youth welfare" category of 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 and certifies institutions that were the first to introduce innovations that have meaningfully improved people's lives, or that have achieved outstanding results in a specific field.

The Nowon Sick Child Care Center was established by the district in 2019 as the first facility of its kind in the country. It provides integrated care for children who fall suddenly ill or whose guardians are unable to look after them, covering everything from hospital escorts to bedside care.

The service is available to children aged 48 months and older through elementary school age. Under the hospital escort service, a dedicated child care worker travels directly to where the child is and accompanies the child from the medical appointment through to the return home. Under the bedside care service, a nurse stationed at the center monitors the child's health and provides nursing care, medication guidance and care programs.

The hospital escort service operates on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the bedside care service from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Both are free of charge, though users are responsible for medical fees, prescription costs and meals.

Since opening in 2019 through Sept. 30 this year, the center has enrolled a cumulative 4,647 members and recorded 8,692 uses. Average user satisfaction over the past three years stood at 94.6 percent.

The Nowon-gu model has drawn benchmarking visits from 23 local governments and related agencies across the country, gaining recognition as a leading example of public child care beyond its home district.

These efforts have helped Nowon-gu maintain a top-three ranking in total fertility rate among Seoul's autonomous districts for four consecutive years since 2022. According to the Ministry of Statistics, the district posted a total fertility rate of 0.77 last year, ranking second among Seoul's autonomous districts. That figure rose from 0.67 the previous year and surpassed Seoul's average of 0.63. The number of births in Nowon-gu last year was 2,300.

"This recognition as the top government innovation institution is the fruit of our consistent efforts to address the real difficulties parents face when their children fall ill, and to resolve those difficulties as a public responsibility," 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 can receive the care they need at the moment they need it."