Marital status no longer matters when it comes to getting government childcare under a new rule that benefits low-income foreigners raising their Korean children.

Under current regulations, foreigners who are not married to Korean nationals are not eligible for 200,000 won (US $ 180) monthly childcare per child even though they are raising their Korean children.

That will change when a series of revised single parent support rules go into effect in May.

The change will benefit foreigners who came to Korea and had children with Korean nationals but who did not marry or who did not become naturalized Korean citizens. Only those earning less than 52 percent of median income are eligible for single parent assistance.

According to the Ministry of Equality and Family, an estimated 100 children fall into this category.

Under the ordinances passed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, single parents who receive government housing allowance because they earn less than 30 percent of median income will be entitled to childcare allowance of 100,000 won per child starting next month.

The age group for single parents entitled to additional childcare will be expanded from the current age of 24 years or below to 34 years or younger, increasing the number of beneficiaries by around 18,000.

The additional allowance is 100,000 won per month for children under the age of 5 and 50,000 won per month for children between the ages of 6 and 17.

Such changes also apply to multicultural single parents.

Applications for childcare can be made at district offices or online.bokjiro.go.kr.

The Minister for Gender Equality and Family will prepare the family policy enforcement plans for single parents for next year and will inform other chiefs of central government agencies, governors and mayors by November 30th. They will then have to submit their respective enforcement plans to the minister by December 30, the ministry said.

By Kim So-hyun ([email protected])