Measures Planned to Support Multicultural Family
다문화가정 지원 정책 내년부터 본격 실시  
  
 
 
 
Interpreters will help foreign spouses’ communication at homes or at their children’s schools, and more financial support will be given to multicultural families in the low-income bracket.

The government said Tuesday that it would strengthen support for inter-nationality families and foreign spouses here starting next year.

The comprehensive policy with 60 detailed projects will range from the pre-marriage stage to childbirth, childcare, language learning and employment, according to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs.

The government will seek a revision of the law to prevent damage from false information given to would-be-spouses by matchmaking companies before marriage. When foreign spouses enter the country after marriage, local authorities and welfare centers for multicultural families will provide them with education programs about life in Korea.

For foreign spouses’ communication, interpreters will visit their homes upon request, providing living information and helping them communicate with other family members. The interpreters will also help them when they consult with teachers about their children or when they consult with doctors at hospitals.

Children of interracial families will receive extra Korean-language education from language therapists at childcare centers, as it has been reported that many children with foreign parents have problems in language ability development.

The government will also increase financial support for multicultural families and expand nursing services. It is considering offering to cover childcare costs of families in the low-income bracket.

The ministry will develop jobs suitable for foreign spouses to help them become economically independent.

The number of international marriages is growing ― in 2007, 38,491 marriages among a total of 345,592, or 11.1 percent, were multicultural, according to the National Statistical Office. In rural regions, multicultural marriages account for about 40 percent of the total.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr   2008  11. 04
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