Exploring Childcare Services in Singapore: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents

One of the key concerns parents have when choosing the ideal childcare service is how to decide which is the best childcare option most suited to their needs. Predominantly, it is important to look out for quality child caring support that you can trust, as your children will be with his/her carers for most of the day.

Are you deciding whether to send your child to a nanny? Or, are you also thinking about the benefits of a child-centric curriculum and a structured schedule in a childcare centre? That said, the main difference between childcare, preschool and kindergarten is the number of hours of support rendered in a day.

Let’s take a look at the different childcare options available in Singapore.

Comparing childcare services: home-based versus childcare centres

Pros and cons of home-based childcare i.e. hiring nanny

Home-based childcare providers are usually recommended through word-of-mouth or perhaps the nanny is a neighbour, or lives nearby. The usual arrangement involves parents sending their child to the nanny's home, where she would be looking after him/her for an agreed number of hours in a day. Being paid by the hour allows a more flexible schedule to arrange with the nanny - parents incur lower expenses on days/months when you don’t need her help. The nanny will also cook, bathe and play with your child; some nannies look after more than one child at any one time, so little ones have playmates to interact with too.

However, such home-based childcare services involve freelancers who are not regulated by any authority. Most nannies offer the basic necessary care of young children, earning their experience over time although they may not be formally trained or equipped with early childhood-related qualifications. When it comes to teaching children or exposing them to age-appropriate activities that support their developmental milestones, they do not typically have a structured curriculum and/or purposefully designed learning spaces within their home. Should the nanny be sick or need to take time off, parents will have to make alternative arrangements such as taking urgent leave, as there are no replacement caregivers during such instances.

Pros and cons of enrolling at a childcare in Singapore

In Singapore, childcare centres are referred to as Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) and are governed by the Early Childhood Development Act and Regulations. A licence is mandatory for an ECDC to provide any early childhood development service, which cares for 5 or more children under 7 years old, for a fee, reward or profit by a person who is not a relative or guardian. Prior to operating, the premise must obtain necessary statutory approvals by relevant authorities to ensure safety and adherence to strict standards pertaining to activity spaces, sanitary facilities and more.

Qualified and trained educators are hired to support the meticulously planned childcare curriculum developed to meet the learning goals and milestone developments of young children. Within the childcare centre’s environment, specific spaces must be dedicated to encourage safe movement and support gross motor skill development. There is also a stipulated teacher to student ratio which childcare centres must adhere to. Children would also be able to socialise with their peers and pick up life skills such as communication and play to learn through structured activities that stimulate their development. Some of the popular and best childcare centres in Singapore are accredited with the SPARK certification to recognise their high standards pegged to early childhood education too.

In comparison to home-based childcare options, there are fixed hours for childcare in Singapore (7am to 7pm for full day, and 7am to 2pm for half day). Although parents can take their child out of school earlier, monthly fees will not be prorated.

How to choose the right childcare option

Here are some factors to consider when deciding whether to go with a home-based or centre-based childcare:

Proximity to home or workplace: How will you be sending and picking your child from the caregiver’s location? How much additional time will it take to make both trips? Who will be in-charge of dropping off and/or picking up your child?
Cost considerations: Local children are granted childcare subsidies to help relieve families of the childcare school fees in Singapore. This can help with your family’s financial budgeting too, as nanny’s fees are not subjected to any subsidies.

Quality indicators: Do you prefer a structured holistic curriculum or a more freestyle environment? Does being equipped with early childhood training and qualifications matter to you? What type of facilities would you like your child to explore and spend his/her day in?
Parental Involvement and Support: Do you prefer a structured communication arrangement with the caregiver where daily updates of your child’s development and routines are shared with you? Would you like to be actively involved in your children’s learning through activities that are planned to include parental support?

For this, childcare centres typically communicate with parents through a notebook or via the preschool’s dedicated app where they record their child’s food intake, how long they napped, and other updates observed during activities. With nanny services, updates may be informal and less frequent as it takes extra effort to monitor every child’s progress and to prepare official communication.

Tips for visiting and evaluating childcare services

Planning to visit the childcare centres that you have shortlisted? Here are some things to look out for and questions to ask during the school tour:

What to look for during the preschool visit: Take a look at the displays, facilities and observe the safety measures in place. Find out about the health protocols when there are outbreaks of common childhood illnesses like Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD).
Questions to ask providers: Ask about your child’s potential educators’ qualifications and experience with young children, find out about the preschool curriculum and activities, understand about the daily routines and schedule.
Observe interaction on a regular school day: The best time to assess the atmosphere and space would be to visit on a weekday. With permission and minimal interruption with your presence, observe how children and their educators interact, even their body language.

Schedule a visit to tour Little Footprints Preschool

We believe in encouraging our children to progress through theme-based, experiential learning. With our curriculum’s pedagogical approach, all key learning areas outlined in the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Framework are meaningfully designed to support young learners. Along with experienced and trained educators and child-friendly spaces that meet high safety standards, Little Footprints Preschool is a popular choice for families in Singapore.

Why Choose Little Footprints Preschool?

Take a leaf from some parents, who have shared their experience.

“Nurturing teachers who take good care of my child. I really appreciate the feedback provided by the teachers as it shows they know my child well. Thank you Teacher Meeta and Lee Lao Shi!”

Mrs. Lin

“The teachers here are so passionate and loving. I could always see them smiling and greeting every child happily as and when I drop/pick my girl from school. Very healthy school environment to be in.”

Jeviene

“Wonderful principal and Teachers @ Little Footprint Thomson especially Ms Jasmine, Teacher Joyce and Liu Laoshi. I have seen great improvement in my boy in terms of academics and behaviour. Thank you so much for all the efforts and hard work.”

Mrs. Chong

Visiting the school in person gives you firsthand experience on some of the things to look out when you visit the preschool. Parents can check out its facilities, classrooms, observe a typical day and interaction between educators and children. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to speak with the educators and ask them questions about the childcare services, should you have any.

Schedule a school tour to visit your preferred Little Footprints Preschool campus, and we will get in touch with you.