Daejeon, South Korea – Daejeon City has announced a significant policy change to its "Kkumnamu Sarang Card" program, aimed at providing greater support to multi-child households. The eligibility criteria for the card, which offers various welfare benefits, will be relaxed starting August 15, the city's Welfare Bureau confirmed on Friday.

The move comes as part of the city's ongoing efforts to enhance its multi-child family support system. Previously, the Kkumnamu Sarang Card was available only to households with two or more children, of whom at least two had to be 18 years old or younger. The revised ordinance now simplifies this requirement: as of next week, any family with two or more children will be eligible for the card, provided that their youngest child is 18 years old or younger.

This change is projected to have a substantial impact on the community. City officials estimate that the relaxed criteria will allow approximately 5,000 more households to newly access the program. The Kkumnamu Sarang Card, introduced in 2007, currently has over 42,000 active users, who enjoy a range of benefits designed to alleviate the financial burdens of raising children.

Key benefits of the card include free rides on the city's subway system and a variety of discounts at participating businesses and public facilities. The multi-child preferential program currently involves 633 local businesses, which offer cardholders discounts ranging from 2% to 50% on their products and services.

Kim Jong-min, Director of the Daejeon City Welfare Bureau, stated that the revision is intended to provide more tangible benefits to a wider range of families. "With the relaxed issuance criteria, more multi-child households can now enjoy these benefits," Kim said. "We will continue to expand the number of participating businesses and services to ensure that these families receive real, practical support."