KB Financial and the Ministry of Health and Welfare Launch ‘Night Extended Care Project’ for Children Aged 6 to 12 Until Midnight

KB Financial Group (Chairman Yang Jong-hee) announced on the 28th that the ‘Night Extended Care Project’ being promoted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Welfare will be fully implemented in care facilities nationwide starting January next year.

This project is a public-private partnership initiative launched following a memorandum of understanding between KB Financial and the Ministry of Health and Welfare in October, aimed at providing stable extended care for over 1,000 community care facilities, including 360 after-school care facilities across the country.

The existing 360 community child centers and Together Care Centers, which operated only until 8 PM, will be expanded to operate until 10 PM/midnight.

The project aims to reduce the gap in night care so that children can stay safely even in the absence of parents, allowing parents who work at night to focus on their livelihoods with peace of mind. In particular, in emergency situations, anyone can leave children aged 6 to 12 regardless of their previous usage. Additionally, the safety of children and staff commuting to and from over 1,000 community care facilities nationwide will also be supported.

KB Financial will support a total of 6 billion won for the night extended care project over three years from 2026 to 2028. The funding will be used for infrastructure improvements such as ▲ renovation of aging facilities, ▲ operation of transportation for pick-up and drop-off, and support for safe return home at night, and ▲ a one-stop guidance system for guardians of users.

A representative from KB Financial Group stated, “The full implementation of the night extended care project is an important turning point where a care model designed together by the public and private sectors is realized as policy,” and added, “Beyond simple financial support, we plan to expand the role of the private sector linked to public policy to contribute to the creation of an inclusive care ecosystem where the social safety net operates.”

Meanwhile, KB Financial has been consistently providing on-site support to strengthen care. Last year, in collaboration with eight major local governments nationwide, it supported child care services and substitute personnel costs for parental leave to alleviate the burden of low birth rates on small businesses, and in schools, it supported the establishment of new and expanded elementary care classrooms and hub care centers.