Children visit Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheong, Gyeonggi Province, in this photo taken on May 4. (Yoon Chang-bin/The Korea Herald) Many foreign residents in Korea face restrictions in receiving government subsidies for daycare fees, but they are eligible for partial support.Under the current law, only children with Korean nationality who are enrolled in certified daycare centers are eligible for the central government’s childcare subsidy for children 5 and under. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea in 2023 recommended revising the rule to include foreign children, but no related legal revision has been made so far.Although the central government subsidy is unavailable, parents of foreign children can still apply for partial support from city or provincial governments.Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Busan each offer their own support programs, while some cities in Gyeonggi Province, including Bucheon, Ansan and Guri, also run separate support programs.Foreign parents of children enrolled in daycare centers in Seoul can apply for the metropolitan government’s subsidy.The program covers up to half of the fees for children 2 and under, and 70 percent for children ages 3 to 5. Parents pay the fees with a state-issued National Happiness Card, which is used for various government voucher programs.Applicants need an official residence card to prove that they are foreign nationals staying in Korea legally. Undocumented migrants are not eligible.The subsidy is calculated based on the government-set daycare center fee, which changes each year. In Seoul, the monthly subsidy ranges from 196,000 won ($127) for children ages 3 to 5 enrolled in public or Seoul-certified daycare centers, to 348,810 won for 3-year-olds, and 334,110 won for 4- and 5-year-olds enrolled in private or home-based daycare centers that do not receive government support.The latest information is available on the Seoul Foreigner Portal.Busan, the country’s second-largest city, provides up to 100,000 won a month for foreign children enrolled in daycare centers in the city. The program is available to foreign residents who have lived in Busan for more than 90 days. The National Happiness Card is also used, but the city’s program only covers children ages 3 to 5.Documents proving legal residence status are also required.Gyeonggi Province provides 150,000 won a month for foreign children ages 5 and under who are enrolled in daycare centers in the province.As in Busan, only families who have lived in Gyeonggi Province for at least 90 days are eligible.Applicants need to submit documents proving their legal status and must use the state voucher card for payment.In January, Gyeonggi Province became the first regional government to subsidize daycare center fees for undocumented migrant children.Under the pilot program, up to 100,000 won a month is paid directly to daycare centers. Hwaseong, Anseong and Icheon were selected for the program, which began this year.Daycare subsidies for foreign children vary in benefits and requirements depending on the city or province where the family lives. Details can be found on the relevant local government websites.