A qualitative study on the implementation status of local government's child policy: The child policy impact assessment and the south korean child policy initiative

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation status of child policies in local governments and to derive improvement strategies. Method: The researchers conducted interviews with 23 local government officials responsible for the ‘Child Policy Impact Assessment’ and the ‘South Korean Child Policy Initiative’. The data was analyzed using a generic qualitative research approach. Results: The research results were categorized into two main themes: ‘Issues in the process of child policy implementation’ and ‘Alternatives for strengthening child policy implementation’. These themes were further subcategorized into ‘Alternatives for individual level ’, ‘‘Alternatives for organizational level’, and ‘Alternatives for implementation system level’. Furthermore, 18 concepts were identified according to the subcategories. Conclusions: Based on the research findings, the study discusses key issues that are centered around the local government's child policy implementation structure, policy targets, evaluation indicators, and implementation procedures. Additionally, suggestions for improvement are presented, including standardization and guideline establishment for the implementation structure, and an implementation approach that integrates the ‘Child Policy Impact Assessment’ and the ‘South Korean Child Policy Initiative’.