Review of Preconditions for Foreign Workforce Policy in Home-Based Childcare Services

With the growing discussion on the need to introduce foreign care workers to reduce the caregiving burden on parents, the city of Seoul has implemented a pilot program for foreign domestic workers. This study reviewed policies and prior research on in-home childcare services and their workers to assess the potential of utilizing foreign labor in domestic childcare services. Based on this review, the study suggests the following considerations for employing foreign workers in domestic childcare services. First, before expanding the introduction of foreign labor in childcare, policies aimed at improving the quality of private childcare services should be prioritized. Second, if the use of foreign labor in childcare increases, it will be necessary to establish an training and management system for foreign childcare workers, as well as set standards for Korean language proficiency to ensure that qualified professionals are employed in childcare services. Lastly, the study highlights the need for academic research on the impact of foreign labor on child development.