At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai received a Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) report on measures to strengthen support for young caregivers. The premier said that the enhanced assistance will benefit youth aged 25 and under who attend school while serving as primary caregivers in families without assistance from hired care workers. By integrating support across the social welfare, education and labor dimensions, the measures aim to promote equity and justice for young people.
Premier Cho clarified that eligible individuals will receive assistance in caregiving, covering government-funded institutional care placement and community long-term care services provided based on assessed needs; in education, measures will include campus identification of students with caregiving responsibilities and related support networks, as well as scholarships, grants, tuition and fee reductions, and other academic assistance for economically disadvantaged students; and in employment, skill enhancement, career guidance and various employment support initiatives will be provided.
The premier emphasized that implementing the measures will require cooperation between the central and local governments. He instructed the MOHW to coordinate with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor, local governments and schools at all levels to proactively identify young people who may have been overlooked, and ensure they are included in the initiative and provided with support.