Lessons from and Data on the Childminding Pilot for Infants
Ms Cassandra Lee asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what lessons have emerged from the Childminding Pilot for Infants, particularly on geographical mismatches between demand and supply; (b) whether the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will coordinate and incentivise targeted recruitment in estates with unmet demand, including newer BTO estates; and (c) what measures will improve childminder recruitment and retention.
Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what are the current (i) enrolment (ii) available capacity and (iii) waiting times under the childminding pilot, by planning areas; (b) what measures are being taken to address geographical mismatches between available childminders and families seeking care; and (c) what are the plans to further publicise this pilot.
Ms Lee Hui Ying asked the Minister for Social and Family Development under the Childminding Pilot for Infants (a) what is the current number of families on the waiting list and the rate of success in matching a family with a childminder, broken down by planning area; and (b) how will the Early Childhood Development Agency increase the supply of trained childminders in locations and hours that better match parents' needs.
Answer:
ECDA’s Childminding Pilot for infants was launched in December 2024 to grow childminding services as an affordable, safe and reliable infant caregiving option for parents. As at September 2026, around 130 infants had enrolled and around 230 childminders had registered for the pilot.
2. Feedback from families participating in the pilot has been positive thus far. However, operators have faced challenges matching interested families to available childminders, with around 100 infants on the waitlist, as at September 2026. This could be due to a variety of factors, including a lack of childminders in that specific estate, or parental preferences for specific profiles and locations of childminders.
3. ECDA is working closely with operators to ramp up recruitment of childminders islandwide, with added focus on community outreach and publicity in areas of higher demand. We also launched the ChildminderGoWhere portal earlier this year to facilitate parents’ search for childminders based on location.
4. ECDA will continue to work closely with operators on recruitment and publicity efforts, and monitor the take-up of childminding services under the pilot. We also encourage parents to widen their options and consider childminders not just near their homes, but also near relatives' homes or their workplaces, so as to make the best use of available capacity across the island.