After hearing and reading extensively on the benefits of putting your child in one of the many infant care centres in Singapore, you are finally ready to look for one where your child can be cared for as you return to work.
In Singapore, as the number of dual-income families rises and the cost-of-living increases, parents seek support in managing childcare and household responsibilities.
Facilities and the setup of the centre aside, you would also need to consider the cost and how to keep this within the amount that you have allocated for infant care.
Infant care fees and prices vary amongst the different providers – and they range from hundreds of dollars to a few thousand per month. If your child is a Singapore citizen, you would be glad to know that you are entitled for infant care subsidies by the government.
Infant Care Subsidies from ECDA That You Are Entitled To
Infographics sourced from ECDA website
As seen in the table above, here are the infant care subsidies that you can receive from the government, based on a scheme last updated in January 2020.
According to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), a working parent is defined as a mother or single father who works a minimum of 56 hours per month. This covers both freelance and part-time work, allowing more flexibility for parents who are not working full-time to be covered under the scheme.
As a working parent, you are entitled to a basic subsidy of $600 per month to offset the fees for putting your child at infant care centres in Singapore.
In addition, the government has also made available an additional subsidy of up to $710 for parents who meet the following requirements:
- A mother working at least 56 hours a month
- Child is a Singapore citizen
- Child is enrolled in an ECDA-licensed infant care/childcare centre in Singapore
- The total gross monthly income (including bonuses, commissions, overtime pay, allowances and salary before CPF deduction) of a household (husband and wife combined) is $12,000 and below
The additional infant care subsidy provided by the government is means-tested to allow lower-income families to receive a greater amount. This is to further ease the financial burden of paying for the fees and to encourage them to enrol their infants at an infant care centre while they work to provide for their families.
Non-working parents are entitled to $150 basic subsidy and do not qualify for additional subsidies from the government.
Using Baby Bonus for Infant Care Fees
For married couples, they can avail for cash payouts through the Baby Bonus scheme. This is an initiative from the government to help families in Singapore manage the cost of raising a child.
But did you know that you can use your Baby Bonus to offset your school fees for infant care?
Infographics as featured on MadeforFamilies
As seen in the table above captured from Made for Families (MoF), all eligible parents of Singaporean children will receive a Baby Bonus cash gift starting from $8,000.
This cash gift is separate from your child’s Child Development Account (CDA), which offers a dollar-to-dollar matching programme to help you save for the cost of raising your child as he/she grows up.
For your first child, you will receive a total of $14,000, inclusive of the matching amount from CDA. For the second child, you will receive a total of $17,000. Meanwhile, a family of 5 or more children is set to receive $28,000 for the fifth and subsequent children.
Thus, the use of baby bonuses stretches beyond medical bills, as the sum awarded can also be tapped on for paying infant care prices and childcare fees.
How do I find out the exact amount of infant care subsidy that I am eligible for?
You can determine the subsidy that applies to you via ECDA’s simple-to-use calculator.
What about subsidies after my child graduates from infant care?
To determine the subsidies that you are entitled to after your child graduates from infant care, or if you plan on enrolling your child after 18 months for playgroup, you can check out our earlier article for the details:
Childcare Subsidies in Singapore
Ready to Register Your Child for Infant Care?
Now that you have all the information on infant care fees and subsidies available for you, the next thing to do is to search for the right infant care centre for your little one.
At Little Footprints Preschool, our Blooming Minds curriculum is designed to nurture your child’s development through everyday interactions, play and exploration in a warm and secure environment.
We welcome you to check out our centres with infant care services and enquire about our full-day and half-day infant care programmes. View the school fees breakdown and available subsidies for Full-Day Infant Care and Full-Day Childcare programmes here.
Book a tour at your preferred centre and speak to our friendly team soon!
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