Private childcare services on the rise in North Korea
Private childcare facilities in North Korea for working parents are on the rise, a North Korean source recently reported. North Korean women are increasingly interested in such services in Pyongsong and Sinuiju, where parents can earn good money by working in the local markets.
“Parents who are busy with work but have some money to spend are increasingly putting their kids into childcare facilities,” a South Pyongan Province-based source told Daily NK.
Daily NK reported in May that there has been an increase in the number of private childcare centers in the northern part of the country. Now, it appears, similar facilities are gaining popularity throughout the country, including the western part of the country in Pyongsong and Sinuiju.
Collective farms and factories rated “level three” or higher all operate their own childcare centers. Smaller factories or enterprises usually have their own childcare centers, but employees can send their kids to local centers. Full-time housewives generally take care of their children at home, making it easier to send them to kindergarten.
“[These women] hire childcare providers to look after their children at home rather than sending them to childcare centers. This ensures the kids avoid any issues that arise from being with other children, and allows the mothers to have more control over what their kids eat,” the source said. “Wealthy families tend to hire private childcare providers instead of sending their kids to state-run centers.” ......
[Source: Daily NK]
