Payment caps at Authorities-supported pre-schools to be lowered from Jan 1 subsequent 12 months

MORE PRE-SCHOOL PLACES

On prime of lowered charge caps, ECDA will work with the 5 anchor operators to supply a further 22,000 full-day pre-school locations, stated Mr Masagos. 

The 5 anchor operators are PCF Sparkletots, My First Skool, MY World Preschool, Skool4Kidz and E-Bridge Pre-school. 

Beneath the companion operator scheme, there are at the moment 331 centres run by 29 operators. 

Of those 22,000 locations, about 2,800 locations will likely be put aside for toddler care and about 4,400 locations will likely be put aside for playgroups, stated Mr Masagos. 

“Most will likely be in new estates the place younger households are concentrated,” he added. 

“For instance, they could possibly be in new estates like Punggol and Sengkang, in addition to extra mature estates with new BTOs like Tampines and Yishun,” stated an ECDA spokesperson. 

“Pre-schools are developed in tandem with new HDB flats in order that residents can entry pre-school companies quickly after they transfer in.”

The extra locations put aside for toddler care and playgroups will deal with the rising demand for pre-school companies at youthful ages, stated ECDA within the press launch.

At the moment, about 9 in 10 Singaporean youngsters aged three to 6 are enrolled in pre-schools, and ECDA is seeing extra households sending their youngsters to centres earlier than they flip three, stated the spokesperson. 

There are about 9,700 infants enrolled in toddler care companies at the moment, in comparison with 4,800 in 2017, the spokesperson famous. 

“As a result of rising demand, the pre-school state of affairs is tight for the early years, particularly in newer housing developments with many younger households,” stated the spokesperson. 

This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic on account of development delays, difficulties in securing alternate care preparations, and oldsters preferring pre-schools nearer to houses moderately than workplaces, the spokesperson added. 

“Newer pre-schools additionally take time to ramp up their toddler and childcare operations, together with hiring the mandatory manpower, earlier than they’ll attain full capability,” stated the spokesperson. 

ECDA is on monitor to extend the variety of Authorities-supported pre-school locations in order that 80 per cent of pre-schoolers can have a spot in these pre-schools by 2025, up from 60 per cent at the moment, stated Mr Masagos. 

“Collectively, these strikes additional contribute to a supportive atmosphere for households. The place households can entry pre-school training for his or her youngsters, and be assured of their affordability and high quality,” he stated.