Documentary 3 Days (Sundays at 11:05 PM on KBS 2TV)
"The Life Before Us - 72 Hours at Ihwa Infant Home in Naju, South Jeolla Province" (Aired February 7, 2021)

When a child abuse case shocks the world, horrific scenes are reported in detail and public outrage grows. However, what must not be forgotten amidst the public outrage is the lives of the children who have already been born and are about to live in this world.

Children admitted to infant homes with diverse stories spend their early years here. As childcare facilities, infant homes offer a distinctly different environment from typical homes. However, they also have childcare workers called "Moms" and a room for the children called "Home."

The mothers at the infant home strive to ensure that the children grow up to be "children." Their shifts, split between day and night, leave them with no time to rest, but they say they are happy to be able to provide love. This is where the children who will one day leave the orphanage will remember it as their "childhood home."

"Documentary 3 Days" met with children living their "lives ahead of them" and the mothers who willingly became their children's mothers.

■ "Home" where five siblings live together

Five children of similar ages live together in a single "home." They call the same teacher "Mom," becoming like real siblings, and sometimes even fighting over toys. Each "home," resembling a typical home, has a living room and kitchen, a bedroom for the children to sleep in, and a study room for reading.

"In a typical home, when a mother cooks in the kitchen, the children can smell everything.

We prepare meals separately in each room so that the children can smell their own food."
-Yoo Haeng-jwa, Life Counselor at Ewha Infant Home

These children say they eliminated the "plate culture" to create a home-like environment as much as possible. Side dishes are brought in separately from the kitchen, and rice is prepared and cooked in each room. While it's true that meal preparation adds a layer of hassle to a busy schedule, the teachers find strength in the sight of the children enjoying the aroma of rice.

■ Living as a "Two-Day Mom"

The daytime teacher in charge of each room is with the children throughout their waking hours. From the moment they wake up in the morning until bedtime, the daytime teacher, the "primary caregiver," takes on the role of "mother." Only at 9 p.m., after the children are asleep, does the "daytime mom" hand over to the "nighttime mom" and conclude their day.

"Yeah, I'll sleep next to you," but honestly, that's a lie.
I have to go home, or else I have to come out and do my job."

Kim Soo-hyun, Life Counselor at Ewha Infant Home

The "daytime mom" spends two days with the children, then leaves them with another "daytime mom" for two days of rest before returning. In effect, the primary caregiver changes every other day. As they leave work, the "day mom" comforts the children, promising, "I'll sleep in for two nights." Children, accustomed to the shifts between mothers, often begin their day with their new "day mom," but teachers feel only regret for not being able to be "real mothers."

■ Reasons for Recording

Keeping children's journals is a key task for teachers. Recording not only the children's health status that day, but also the games they played together and the conversations they shared is a subject of discussion. Individual photo albums meticulously document moments like the child's first successful "rollover" or first steps.

As the "sole witnesses" of a child's childhood, teachers feel a sense of responsibility and record every moment. Therefore, they often sit down to write journals long after work is over. These meticulously crafted records become "valuable treasures" for a child's life and "essential parenting information" for the child's next guardian.

■ A Place Where Mothers and Children Grow Together

Mothers at orphanages endure the intense "childcare labor" of caring for multiple children at once. While their relentless schedules can easily tire them out, the teachers interviewed said, "Still, we smile because of the children."

"People say we love these children.

But it's not true. It's more like these children love me."
-Yoo Haeng-jwa, Life Instructor at Ewha Orphanage

Sometimes, they say they learn more from children than they teach. "Documentary 3 Days" captures three days at Ewha Orphanage in Naju, South Jeolla Province, where 40 children and their "mothers" grow together.

Actress Yoo Seon, who narrates the show, recently submitted a petition to the court demanding the strict punishment of the perpetrator in the "Jeong-in case." Her deep awareness of child protection issues has made her a voice for this program.

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