KB Financial Group and the Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Feb. 1 they visited the Chamirang Community Child Center in Jungnang district, Seoul, on Jan. 29 to check the operating status of the extended nighttime childcare programme and hear on-site views.

Officials involved in implementing the programme, including KB Financial, the health ministry and the Korea Institute for Children’s Rights, attended the visit. They checked whether children needing care at night were being safely protected and encouraged staff working at the site.

The extended nighttime childcare programme is part of a government-wide response prepared after a child death in an apartment fire last year. It selected 360 participating centres from about 5,500 community care facilities nationwide and began full operations on Jan. 5.

KB Financial has supported the new establishment and expansion of 2,265 after-school care classrooms and the building of 75 hub-type care centres since 2018. It has also continued various social contribution activities to strengthen the childcare environment, including easing childcare and care burdens for major local governments and small business owners.

Based on shared recognition that the government and the private sector must jointly take responsibility for each child’s safety, it is pushing the extended nighttime childcare programme so children can be safely protected during evening hours when care gaps are likely to occur. KB Kookmin Bank, a key affiliate, is also providing practical capacity-building support to young people preparing for independence, including job consulting and certificate acquisition, as part of practising social inclusion.

KB Financial plans to sponsor a total of 6 billion won over three years from 2026 to 2028, in cooperation with the health ministry. The support includes infrastructure such as improving aging facilities, enrolling safety insurance for trips home at night, supporting vehicles for commuting to and from centres, and building a one-stop guidance system for guardians.

The field visit was arranged to check operating conditions at participating centres and hear opinions from users and workers for reflection in future system improvements. KB Financial plans to open a nationwide common representative phone number by March to improve user accessibility and build a system that automatically connects callers to regional guidance call centres in their province or city based on the caller’s location information.

A KB Financial official said, "Childcare is not a one-off support but a social responsibility that must continue." The official added, "We will continue support by thinking together with the field so children can be safely protected at any time."