“파리 잡으려 매운탕에 농약”…60대 항소심도 실형

A new system offering a voucher for counseling services for parents of children with developmental disabilities in South Korea has seen usage rates hovering around the 60% mark over the past five years. Despite 710 parents initially applying for the program in 2021, this rose to 1,258 parents by 2025, with 96.7% of applicants ultimately receiving approval.

However, the reality is that many of those approved vouchers remain unused. According to a study by the Korean Welfare Society Research Institute in 2023, 18.5% of respondents had considered seeking psychological counseling or treatment from a hospital or specialist in the past year. Additionally, 7.9% of caregivers were taking antidepressant medication, while 10.1% admitted to having thoughts of giving up on life.

This data highlights the severity of mental exhaustion among caregivers. Despite the support provided through counseling vouchers, there is a glaring lack of practical measures to help parents manage their responsibilities. Kim Nam-yeon, the chair of the Seoul Parents Association for Disabled Children, notes that while developmentally disabled individuals receive significantly less time for activities compared to those with physical disabilities, many attend regular schools, leaving little time to take care of themselves.

One-third of caregivers (43%) only have someone to care for their children in their homes, while 51.6% spend more than five hours per day on care duties. The shortage of specialized schools and the necessity of staying by their side 24/7 make it difficult for parents to find time for counseling or medical appointments. Advocates for developmentally disabled children argue that a system of "one-stop childcare" is essential to ensure that counseling is effective.

Potential solutions include "one-stop childcare" services that provide assistance during counseling sessions, such as sending in emergency childcare workers or setting up dedicated spaces within professional counseling centers to temporarily care for the children. MP Sunmi-hwa emphasized the need to address the practical barriers preventing parents from accessing counseling services, including the time commitment required and the lack of alternative care options.