A Research on Measures to Support Child Care through the National Pension Scheme

Abstract

This research aims to search for the measures at the level of national pension scheme to deal with the disadvantages of pension benefit rights which individual families receive because of child care activities. Currently, there is a Childbirth Credit policy in Korean National Pension Scheme for families who have two or more children. However, with regard to this policy, the criteria for eligibility for pension participation and the eligible period for pension benefits are too restrictive. Further, it has been criticized for shifting the financial burden toward the National Pension Fund. In this respect, the important aspects of the research results can be summarized as follows. Above all, ‘public characteristic of child care activity’ and ‘burden adjustments of child care cost’ has been theoretically reviewed as a part of justification for pension participation. Secondly, this paper classified child care support measures in terms of the National Pension Scheme into pension participationstage and pension benefits stage. Then, the advantages and disadvantages as well as the features of each policy model has been assessed. Lastly, based on the research result, this paper suggests child care support measures at the pension participation stage. The key issues regarding the support measures were divided into the following: the range of eligibility, the conditions and level of pension participation, the eligible period of service and the financing methods. With respect to each category, specific policy proposals have been discussed.