Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry is conducting any study to assess if child minding services are sufficient to support working mothers on shifts, given that ECDA childcare centres are no longer required to operate on Saturdays and Sundays; and (b) whether the Ministry is developing other formal childcare resources to support such needs.
Answer
1 The removal of the requirement for childcare centres to operate on Saturdays from Jan 2025 was a carefully considered decision after extensive engagements with early childhood educators, preschool operators, and parents. Of surveyed families using preschool services, more than 99% did not require Saturday childcare services or could make alternative care arrangements, and less than 1% had both parents who worked on Saturdays and did not have alternative care arrangements.
2 We recognise the challenges that parents face in balancing their caregiving and work commitments. For parents who require caregiving support on weekends, there are alternative caregiving arrangements available, including paid and community based options, such as babysitting services. Employers also have a part to play, by providing a family-friendly work environment that supports working parents in balancing their caregiving and work commitments. For example, the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, which took effect on 1 December 2024 and sets out the process for employees to request one-off or more sustained arrangements to meet their caregiving needs, was introduced to support all workers, including parents, to better manage their work and caregiving responsibilities in a sustainable manner.