Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang
MP for Nee Soo GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what percentage of anchor operator pre-schools currently have the Development Support and Learning Support (DS and LS) programmes; and (b) what are the Early Childhood Development Agency's (ECDA) Agency's (ECDA) plans to introduce the DS and LS programmes to more anchor operators.

Answer

1    The number of preschools offering the Development Support (DS)
and Learning Support (LS) programme has increased by 60% from 350
preschools in 2017 to about 550 preschools today. Of these preschools
offering the DS-LS programme, about 400 are Anchor Operator (AOP)
preschools.

2    Today, all of the AOPs are DS-LS providers who have or will have
their own team of in-house Learning Support Educators. This enables the
AOPs to better expand the delivery of the DS-LS programmes in their
centres.

3     The Early Childhood Development Agency (EDCA) is working
closely with the AOPs and other preschool operators to make the DS-LS
programme available at more preschools. ECDA provides funding to
preschools which are DS-LS providers, to train their Learning Support
Educators and procure therapy services. These preschools are also
supported with a Place-and-Train programme to facilitate the training of
more in-house Learning Support Educators.