Hygiene management
Hygiene management
- The principal of a childcare center shall comply with the hygiene management standards of the center determined by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare for the prevention of infectious diseases, etc. (Article 33-4 of the Child Care Act).
- Day care teachers at child care centers shall frequently check the following factors that affect the hygiene of infants and young children (Article 23 and Attached Table 8 of the Enforcement Rules of the Child Care Act).
· Whether infants and young children are infected with infectious diseases such as colds, flu, measles, etc.
· Skin, hair, nails, toenails, and dental conditions of infants and young children
· Cleanliness of child care centers, including child care rooms, teaching material rooms, cooking rooms, playgrounds, etc.
· Hygienic conditions, such as bedding and diapers
· Cleanliness of bathrooms and toilets and hygienic conditions of toiletries, etc.
- Kitchen, the raw materials and products storage room, toilets, bedding, etc. shall be sanitized regularly and kept clean at all times (Article 23 and Attached Table 8 of the Enforcement Rules of the Child Care Act).
Management of drinking water
- When using tap water or simplified wide area water supply, the water shall be boiled (Article 23 and Attached Table 8 of the Enforcement Rules of the Child Care Act).
- When using the water purifier, the water quality shall be managed by replacing the filter in the water purifier regularly (Article 23 and Attached Table 8 of the Enforcement Rules of the Child Care Act).
- When using drinking water for underground water, the childcare center shall apply for a water quality test and keep a drinking water quality test report issued by the water quality inspection agency (Article 23 and Attached Table 8 of the Enforcement Rules of the Child Care Act).
Management of animals
- When animals are kept in the child care center, such facts shall be informed to the parents of infants and young children in advance, and immunity measures shall be taken regularly by a veterinarian to prevent allergies, diseases, and injuries from animals, and when infants and young children contact animals, insects, excreta, etc., the contact area shall be washed (Article 23 and Attached Table 8 of the Enforcement Rule of the Child Care Act).
Environment management
Indoor air quality management
- National and public child care centers, corporate child care centers, workplace child care centers, and private child care centers with a total floor area of 430 m2 (the total floor area of facilities consisting of two or more buildings shall be the total floor area of each building), and indoor children’s playground with a total floor area of 430 m2 or more shall comply with the Indoor Air Quality Control Act (Article 3 (1) 12 of the Indoor Air Quality Control Act and Article 2 (1) 12 and 12-2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Indoor Air Quality Control Act).
Sanctions for violations
Correction order and suspension of operation
- Where a child care center violates the operating standards and sanitation management standards of a child care center, the Minister of Health and Welfare, the Special City Mayor, the Metropolitan City Mayor, the Do Governor, the Special Self-Governing Province Governor (hereinafter referred to as the “Mayor/Do Governor”) or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu may order the principal, the establisher, or operator of the child care center to correct or change it within a fixed period (Subparagraphs 4 and 4-9 of Article 44 of the Child Care Act).
- The Minister of Health and Welfare, the Mayor/Do Governor, and the head of the relevant Si/Gun/Gu may order the establisher or operator of the child care center to suspend the operation of the child care center within one year or to close the child care center if such person violates the corrective order above (Article 45 (1) 3 of the Child Care Act).
- When the Minister of Health and Welfare, a Mayor/Do Governor, or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu shall order the establisher or operator to suspend the operation of a child care center, he or she may impose a fine not exceeding KRW 30 million, in lieu of suspension of operation of the child care center, if such suspension of operation causes severe inconvenience to infants, young children, and their guardians, or is likely to harm the public interest (Article 45-2 (1) of the Child Care Act).
Suspension of qualification of the principal of the child care center
- Where the principal of the childcare center causes harm to infants and young children by violating the operation standards or Sanitation Management Standards determined by the Ordinance of the Minister of Health and Welfare, or intention or gross negligence in the course of performing any of his or her duties, the Minister of Health and Welfare may suspend his or her qualification for up to one year (Subparagraph 1(b) and (d) of Article 46 of the Child Care Act).
- Provided, That the Special Self-Governing City Mayor, the Special Self-Governing Province Governor, or the head of Si/Gun/Gu, may increase or reduce the suspension period by up to 1/2 in consideration of the motive, details, frequency, etc. of the violation, and where it is aggravated, the total suspension period shall not exceed one year (Article 39(1) of the Enforcement Rules of the Child Care Act).
Publication of violations
- Cases of child care centers subject to administrative disposition, such as suspension of operation that damaged the lives of infants and young children and caused serious physical or mental damage in violation of standards for operation, the Minister of Health and Welfare, the Mayor/Do Governor, or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu shall publish the violation, the details of the disposition, the name of the relevant child care center, the name of the representative, the name of its principal (limited to cases where he/she is not the same person as the representative), the type of the child care center, and the address of the child care center (Article 49-3 (1) 2 of the Child Care Act and Article 25-8 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Child Care Act).