The Samsung Welfare Foundation and the Childcare Policy Institute have introduced an integrated platform to assess the developmental status of infants and provide necessary support information. The aim is to reduce the information gap faced by parents and teachers after developmental screenings and to facilitate connections with specialized institutions.
On August 3, the Samsung Welfare Foundation officially launched the infant development support platform 'Sasakgwa Danbi.' The two organizations collaborated to develop the platform over approximately two years, starting in 2024.
The platform offers developmental checks for infants, guidance on developmental milestones, and customized play content for developmental support. It also provides information on specialized institutions where users can receive detailed assessments, treatments, and consultations based on their residential area.
The developmental checks utilize the 'K-SIED,' a developmental screening tool developed by the Childcare Policy Institute. Parents and teachers can use this tool for free to evaluate a child's developmental status. The screening results serve as a resource to determine whether further observation or professional evaluation is needed, rather than as a medical diagnosis.
Based on the screening results, the platform suggests developmental support activities that can be utilized at home, in daycare centers, and kindergartens. The process has been simplified to allow users to handle multiple steps, from developmental checks to searching for specialized institutions, all within a single platform.
According to a report published by the Childcare Policy Institute last year, the percentage of children requiring follow-up assessments in national developmental screenings increased from 2.1% in 2012 to 12.3% in 2023. The rate of recommendations for in-depth evaluations also rose from 0.9% to 3.3% during the same period.
The combined rate of these two categories increased more than fivefold, from 3.0% in 2012 to 15.6% in 2023, indicating a growing demand for follow-up support after developmental screenings.
The Samsung Welfare Foundation has formed a committee of 18 experts in healthcare, education, childcare, and welfare to review the platform's content. Feedback from parent and teacher monitoring groups has also been incorporated to adjust the layout, usage procedures, and expressions on the platform.
In the future, the foundation plans to connect services from public institutions and developmental support organizations to the platform and incorporate user feedback through parent and teacher supporter groups.
Ryu Mun-hyung, Vice President of the Samsung Foundation, stated, "'Sasakgwa Danbi' is a platform designed to support the healthy growth of all infants, not just those at risk of disabilities. We aim to develop it as a foundational network for connecting developmental support ecosystems in education, childcare, healthcare, and welfare."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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