Korean Job Discussion Forums

[FredDaSked]

Hi, I hope this is the right place to post this.

I need to do something with my 4-year-old while I work. While this may be unique and unknown to most here, I hope that to some it won't be.

My co-teacher has recommended an English kindergarten, but the fee is prohibitive. I'd like to find, in order:
1. someone to come to our apartment every day
2. a place that caters to native English speakers.
3. a daycare rather than a kindergarten. fees are only one thing that make a private institute undesirable. Even EBC Kids. I used to work in a few of the supposedly finer of them. It's bad enough that she would have to be the only native-English-speaking kid there.
I work at Sanghyun Elem, near Suji, so it should be close to there.

Any suggestions? No offense to what Koreans know about how to do their own systems, but I really don't want to rely on the reassurances of hagwon owners and other involved Koreans.

Help appreciated.

[ttompatz]

[FredDaSked]

[Countrygirl]

When we moved here my son went to a Korean kindergarten but it wasn't as cheap as I expected it would be. (Cheaper than Canada but not as cheap as I wanted it to be). This included pick up and drop off, lunches and field trips so we got our money's worth.

I'm close to you and I don't know any places that cater the English speakers and I don't know any that would be cheap.

Your best bet might be a Filipino who would come to your house.

Otherwise most of the highrises around the school will offer daycares on the first floor of the building. Just walk around and look for the colourful pictures in the windows. Apartment daycares will be cheaper but you'll be lucky if the daycare providers know English.

Or go to the English Service at Global Church and find an English speaking mom who would like to make some extra money.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[Unposter]

I don't do it and I am not exactly sure where you could find one but I have heard of Philipinas who cook, clean and I would guess take care of children. You could probably pay by the hour which might work out cheaper than a Korean kindergarden. Good luck!

[toadkillerdog]

I'd love to find cheaper daycare. I have twin 1 year olds. The best deal I found was W850,000 per month for the two. Mind you, I'm not going to put my kids in a lousy place to save a few bucks, but daycare costs here are awful when you think in terms of salary %age.

[FredDaSked]

I accepted, for the time, the cheapest option I could find (my co-teacher could help me find): in direct translation, it's a 'children's house' on the first floor of a high-rise in SangHyun, Suji, Yongin, etc. W350,000 for the month, and she gave me the last half of June for 150,000. I still feel I could do better, but not kids-wise. It's about 5 other children, all younger than my 4-year-old, so avoiding all the 'crazy kid syndrome' that a hagwon would put out. And a lot of doting by the lady who runs it. A lot. that's where my mixed emotions come in, but that's another story any western parent of a western kid can probably relate to.

[brier]

I too have my son (two years old) in a "children's house" in one of the apartment complexes. Nice program the owner has, and I feel very comfortable sending him there. Plus his Korean is growing everyday. About the same price and they have evening hours as well if I needed them.

[nobbyken]

My 33-month old daughter speaks Korean as a first language so I've no problem sending her to play-room near our apt..
It's just me working, so we qualify as lower income and benefit from childcare paid by City Hall. I think it's either 280k or 400k, but it's about 4 hours a day free. I got an employment form from my school and my wife filled some form at the dong office.
A teacher at my school and his wife work so they have their lad in childcare all day, comes to either 400k or 800k, can't remember. They both get good incomes though, so it's peanuts.

[marlow]

I was paying 200,000 per month for a decent 9-3 Korean kindergarten in Busan. The English ones were around 700,000.