Caregivers’Experiences in the Early Stages of Transitioning from a Large Residential Childcare Facilities to Small-Scale Home-Style Childcare

Abstract

This study aims to understand the necessary preparations for adapting to changes in residential childcare facilities, exploring the experiences of caregivers participating in the “Small-Scale Home-Style Childcare Pilot Project” in Seoul. Individual interviews were conducted with four participants with experience in a residential child facility and small-scale family-style child care settings. Data were analyzed through comprehensive thematic analysis, revealing 30 subcategories and 8 major themes: 'Expectations of environmental changes', ‘Adaptation needed by all’, ‘Positive changes in children brought about by the space’, ‘Better than a facility, but not like a home’, ‘Increased workload’, ‘Balancing roles as caregivers’, ‘The pitfalls of a career in a facility’, and ‘Caring differently from facility methods’. Based on these experiences, the study points out that the time and relationship between caregivers and children needs to be reviewed both quantitatively and qualitatively, and that administrative support, education, and institutional cultures need to be improved.