Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDCs), which are commonly referred to as infant/child care centres or kindergartens, provide half-day and full-day care programmes for children under the age of 7. The services provided and corresponding operating hours are listed in the table below. It is important that parents choose a centre which offers a programme and curriculum that meet their expectations and child’s needs.
ECDCs are licensed and regulated under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act and Regulations.
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Centre
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Service provided and operating hours
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Infant care centre
(Class A licence)
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• Provides care and education for children aged 2 to 18 months old
• Full day programmes from 7am to 7pm and/or half day and/or flexible options (at least 12 to 24 hours a week, and 3 hours per session)
• Services are available 5 or 5½ days a week excluding Sundays and gazetted public holidays
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Child care centre
(Class B licence)
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• Provides care and education for children aged 18 months to below 7 years old
• Full day programmes from 7am to 7pm and/or half day and/or flexible options (at least 12 to 24 hours a week, and 3 hours per session)
• Services are available 5 or 5½ days a week excluding Sundays and gazetted public holidays
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Kindergarten
(Class C licence)
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• Provides education for children aged 18 months to below 7 years old
• Half day programmes, typically span from 3 to 4 hours per session
• Services are available 5 days per week, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, gazetted public holidays and school holidays according to the Ministry of Education’s academic calendar, except for kindergartens which follow an international curriculum and academic year.
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Note: Some centres also provide flexible care programmes and emergency care services.
Operations
Infant care and child care centres operate services throughout the calendar year except on:
• Sundays;
• gazetted public holidays; and
• 6 days of annual closure (which includes Teacher’s Day and a minimum 2.5 days for staff training and development).
Kindergartens operate during the school terms according to the Ministry of Education’s academic calendar for primary schools. Kindergartens are given 3 days of annual closure, which must be used for centre-based events.
Infant and Child Care Subsidies
All parents with Singapore Citizen children enrolled in infant care and child care centres licensed by ECDA are eligible for a Basic Subsidy.
In addition, working families with monthly household incomes of $12,000 and below are eligible for an Additional Subsidy, with lower-income families receiving higher subsidies. Larger families with 3 or more dependents can also choose to have their Additional Subsidy assessed on a per capita basis, which may qualify them for higher subsidies.
For more information, please visit ECDA's website.
Children Development Co-Savings (Baby Bonus) Scheme
Your child’s preschool fees can be paid using the Baby Bonus Child Development Account (CDA), if his/her preschool is a Baby Bonus Approved Institution (AI). For more information on the CDA, please click here or visit the Baby Bonus website. You can also check if your child’s preschool is a Baby Bonus AI by clicking here.
Looking for an Early Childhood Development Centre?
You can find out more about centre-based care or see who are ECDA's Anchor Operators and Partner Operators here. You can also refer to the parents’ guide for more information.
Contact Us
Should you have any enquiries or feedback on child care centres, please contact us at 6735-9213 or click here to email us or visit us at
Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)
51 Cuppage Road
#08-01
Singapore 229469
Thinking of operating a centre?
Running a centre can be a challenging experience. This guide provides useful information to assist you in setting up an Early Childhood Development Centre.
