According to Statistics Korea, the relative poverty rate of retired people aged 66 or older in 2020 was 40.4 percent – a figure which has been decreasing steadily since 2016, when it was 45 percent. According to a report jointly published by Mirae Asset Investment and the Pension Center, the average age of retiring from their main job is 49.3 years, 41.3 percent of wage earners are obliged to retire earlier than they wish. But since in 2018 it appeared that the actual age of retirement from the labor market was 72.3 years, it is clear that people stay in the labor market for about 23 years after they retire from their life-time main job. One of the major reasons for continuing to work is economic hardship. Since the social safety net that can protect those who leave the labor market involuntarily is not properly established, and pensions are also limited, these people are forced to rely on re-employment. In other words, it is evident that people cannot expect income security after 'formal' retirement.

Various methods have been proposed to guarantee the income of older persons, such as raising the retirement age and guaranteeing income after retirement. One such  project is "Our Neighborhood Child Care on Request”.

"Our Neighborhood Child Care on Request" has been supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 2016. Through the scheme, older persons provide care services when children are ill, or when their parents are unable to look after them. Older persons in the community with abundant parenting experience receive more than 40 hours of professional education (understanding care, customized play education for infants, and counseling techniques) in order to participate in the project. According to Statistics Korea, women's participation in economic activities was 53.3 percent in 2021, continuously increasing from 50.1 percent in 2012. "Our Neighborhood Child Care on Request" increases women’s opportunities to work and earn.

The project has the dual goal of providing jobs to older persons in the community and reducing the burden of childcare for working parents. To qualify for participation, people need to be citizens of Seoul aged 60 and older who can work more than 30 hours a month and are willing to complete the 40 hours of training. The wage is 11,000 KRW (around 8 USD) to 13,000 KRW (around 10 USD) per hour; it is a stable job that provides industrial accident insurance, compensation insurance, and health insurance for those who work more than 60 hours a month. Currently, there are about 130 older persons participating in the project in Seoul; the target is children from 6 months to 9 years old; and service hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. At the moment, the service is only available in Seoul. People who want to use the service can apply over the phone.

Specific services include support for commuting to school, caring for children who are unwell, support for group activities, and one-time care. The commuting support is a service that parents apply for when they are unable to take their children to daycare centers or elementary school due to their own commuting needs and work commitments. If parents have to go to work and the child is unwell, they can apply for child care. Support for group activities supports temporary protection services when parents have to go out for meetings, events, etc. The one-time care service is a service that parents can apply for when they themselves are unwell or in urgent need of rest.

Service users' satisfaction is very high. Parent A says, "There were many difficulties in taking my child to school in the morning; this service is so convenient for me and my husband, enabling us to go to work early. I am greatly satisfied with this service." Parent B, who asked for child care service, said, "I was worried that I would have trouble taking a day off from my work because of the circumstances, but I learned about this service from my colleague and applied for it. I am so satisfied and grateful."

With the numbers of working parents continuing to increase and the fertility rate gradually decreasing, childcare support services such as "Our Neighborhood Child Care on Request" are expected to be of great help to couples raising children. The project is not just a one-way service for service beneficiaries; importantly, service providers also have the benefit of obtaining paid jobs. Social work of this kind can help guarantee the incomes of older persons, a group with economic difficulties relative to other generations, and may also increase the low birth rate that is partly a consequence of the absence of an appropriate childcare environment. "Our Neighborhood Child Care on Request" is an example of a job project for older persons that can also develop the community by bringing to bear and putting to use the wisdom of older persons. If this type of job project can be expanded and diversified, it is thought to be an ideal way to support all the generations.