Childcare Fees in Singapore: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents

Raising a child isn't cheap – most of us know that by now. From the cost of clothes to healthcare, there's no end of expenses to think about!

If your little one is about to reach the age where they can enter a childcare establishment, that's one more cost on your mind. To help you figure out how much you'll need as well as what subsidies you can use, we'll go over childcare fees in Singapore today.

How much does childcare cost in Singapore?

On average, you can expect full-day childcare to cost around $900 in Singapore. A half-day programme will be cheaper, at around $600 or so.

But this is just the average. Preschool fees can vary so much that you'll easily find some charging upwards of $1,600 for a full-day childcare programme. There are even preschools charging over $2,000 for both full-day and half-day childcare!

What is POP and how does it affect childcare costs in Singapore?

Despite the high cost of childcare nowadays, the government has done its part to make it more accessible than ever. The Early Childhood Development Agency or ECDA's Partner Operator scheme (POP) is one of its initiatives to that end.

Through the scheme, it partners with preschools to improve their service quality and affordability. The preschools get funded by the government and in exchange, they do the following:

• Cap childcare (and infant care) fees
• Keep fee increases affordable
• Invest in service quality improvement
• Continuously improve organisational capabilities
• Support the development of their leaders, educators, and staff

A POP preschool has to do all of the above. You can see this in the following examples of POP preschools:

• Star Learners
• Kindertown Educare
• Ace @ Work Childcare and Student Care
• Eager Beaver Schoolhouse
• K-Joy Educare

If you check these schools' rates, you'll find them to be among the most affordable in the country despite offering industry-leading quality. That's due to POP!

What childcare subsidies do parents in Singapore have available?

Parents in Singapore have several subsidies they may be eligible for, as you'll see below.

1. Basic subsidy

This depends on the mother's working status. Specifically:

• Working mothers get $300 for a full-day childcare subsidy.
• Non-working mothers get $150 for a full-day childcare subsidy.

Note that this is also only available to those whose children are enrolled in ECDA-licenced childcare centres.

2. Additional childcare subsidy

An additional childcare subsidy may be open to you if you meet the eligibility criteria below:

• Families with working mothers or single fathers who work for at least 56 hours a month
• Families with gross monthly household income no greater than $12,000 OR families with a gross monthly per capita income no greater than $3,000 and at least 3 non-earning dependents

Note that the additional subsidy is tiered by income bracket, unlike the basic subsidy. As such, households with lower household or per capita income get higher subsidies.

Here are the tiers and the additional subsidy allocations for each one:

Other subsidies for preschoolers in Singapore

Once your child is of kindergarten age, there are other possible subsidies you may be able to take advantage of. These include the following:

• Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme or KiFAS (which offers from $17 to $161 a month)
• KiFAS Start-Up Grant or SUG (which grants up to $240 per year)

Both of those are available only to Singaporean children. To check eligibility, visit this page, which also has the KF1 form that you need for application.

A final note on childcare fees in Singapore

Ultimately, the childcare fees you end up paying in Singapore will depend on what preschool you choose and what you consider worthwhile. However, always bear in mind that higher costs don't always mean superior service.

As we noted earlier, initiatives like POP give parents access to quality childcare at very affordable rates. Moreover, different childcare centres will have different approaches to their work.

If your child doesn't respond well to a childcare centre's approach, even the most expensive childcare in the world won't be worth much at the end of the day. Always consider the big picture when weighing which childcare might suit your situation and child's needs best.