​1. Study Objectives and Methods

▮Research objectives

￮This study serves as a fundamental research piece to explore the need for and validity of public postpartum care centers to be established in ten cities and counties of Jeonbuk, which experiences a populational decline and lacks such centers. 

￮This paper seeks to present operational guidelines for regional public postpartum care centers tailored to Jeonbuk (regional hub centers). To this end, a comprehensive research was conducted wherein case studies were reviewed about public postpartum care centers in other local governments, including the use of postpartum care centers by mothers registered at public health centers in regions with a population decline, with the purpose of analyzing the need for establishing public postpartum care centers based on the demand survey.

▮Research methods

￮The hereby performed research methodology aimed to take full advantage of available resources and in-depth analyses, which include 1) a literature review of policy research reports and academic papers, 2) fact-finding studies of postpartum care centers, 3) the analysis of population and childbirth-related environments and conditions through national statistical portals, 4) the investigation of the use of postpartum care centers by women with a pregnancy intention, expecting mothers, and women who already gave birth (those registered at public health centers in ten Jeonbuk regions, which experience population declines), and 5) the analysis of the possible need for establishing public postpartum care centers and related demand.

2. Conclusion and Policy Suggestion

▮The need for and validity of public postpartum care centers tailored to Jeonbuk

￮Reasons that favor public postpartum care centers: Weakened family care functions caused by the rise of the nuclear family setup, the increase in women’s employment rates and dual-income households; the integral role of postpartum care centers and the widespread culture of using them; positive survey results (93.7% of respondents advocate the need for public centers and 80.9% indicated that they would actively use the centers). Above all, it is of utmost importance to secure timely readiness and response of public medical care and foster a safe prenatal and postpartum care environment for the basic rights of a mother and a baby in the absence of the proper prenatal and postpartum care infrastructure in regions with a population decline. 

￮Reasons that support validity: Centers that measure up to what the “Fourth Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society” pursues; the ability of local governments experiencing a population decline to leverage the “Special Act on Support for Regions with a Population Decline” to engage with businesses that help in addressing the issues of population decline and the potential risk of extinction; the central government’s administrative and financial assistance. The latter governmental support regarding the establishment of public postpartum care centers is one of the campaign promises made by the mayors of Jeongeup and Namwon in Jeonbuk.

▮Operational guidelines for public postpartum care centers tailored to Jeonbuk

￮Operational guidelines include establishing and operating regional hub centers that consider geographical accessibility (within 30 minutes from regions with a declining population), operating with specialized medical institutions in the form of consignment, conducting regular inspections, performance reviews, and user satisfaction surveys, and formulating win-win strategies for Jeonbuk, hub regions as well as other ones with a declining population.

￮Differentiation strategies include high-quality interior and systematic infection-free facilities, one-stop services for the entire process including prenatal and postpartum management and newborn care, demand package, customized services for mothers of multicultural families, availability of nurses specializing in infection management, and delivery of safe food, personnel, and resources in collaboration with local institutions. 

￮Facilities and staff members of regional hub centers feature ten maternity rooms and 14 personnel (five nurses, five assistants, and four others). The cost for two weeks amounts to 1.6 million won (eligible users are entitled to 50% discount). Annual revenues and expenses of the center are projected to be 260 million won and 750 million won, respectively. Thus, for the operation of two regional hub centers, Jeonbuk is required to provide the financial assistance of about 450 million won per annum. ​