Guide to Childcare & Infant Care Centres in Singapore

Looking for childcare or infant care in Singapore? Here’s what you need to know, including childcare centre fees, locations and more

On the hunt for a childcare centre or infant care in Singapore to enrol your little one in? It can be hard to think about being away from your child for most of the day but enrolling your child in a childcare centre or infant care in Singapore has many benefits! Your little one will be well taken care of thanks to set meal times and nap times, all while they learn and play with kids their age. Plus thanks to technology, many childcare centres now have portals where parents can stay updated on all the happenings in school! From daily activities to learning outcomes and more, you’ll be kept in the loop of all your child’s day-to-day accomplishments. We list out some popular childcare centres and infant care in Singapore, from Mulberry Learning to My First Skool, Star Learners, PCF Sparkletots, EtonHouse Pre-School, Little Green House and more, to infant care programmes, fees and subsidies — keep reading for all the deets!

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Childcare, infant care, preschool or kindergarten: What’s the difference?
Infant Care Centre Singapore Fees & Subsidies
List of Childcare Centres & Infant Care in Singapore

Childcare, infant care and kindergarten: What’s the difference?

Childcare centre in Singapore
Childcare centres in Singapore are open to children aged 18 months to 6 years old, and offer both half-day and full-day programmes to suit working parents. Childcare centres in Singapore run from 7am to 7pm. Some childcare centres offer Saturday half-day classes as well, but this will be phased out from 2025. Childcare centres suit the schedules of parents who work full time, as the centres are only closed on Sundays and an additional 7 days in a year – so they stay open even during MOE school term holidays. Meals are taken care of at childcare centres, with schools usually providing breakfast, lunch and a snack for tea break. Some childcare centres in Singapore also allocate shower time.

Infant care in Singapore
Some childcare centres provide infant care programmes for babies as young as two months old. Infant care centres in Singapore also offer full-day care arrangements and may offer half-day programmes. As more care is required for babies in infant care programmes, the fees are usually higher than childcare programmes. The school schedule for infant care in Singapore is usually the same as those at childcare centres.

Preschool/kindergartens in Singapore
Preschools and kindergartens often cater to children aged 18 months to below 7 years old with half-day programmes. Preschool and kindergarten services are available Mondays to Fridays, and are closed on gazetted public holidays and school holidays based on the dates released by MOE. An exception is kindergartens that follow an international curriculum and academic year.

     Read more: Guide to Kindergartens and Preschools in Singapore

Childcare & Infant Care in Singapore: Fees & Subsidies

If your child is a Singapore Citizen, you can receive a Basic Subsidy of up to $300 per month for full-day childcare (and up to $600 per month for full-day infant care in Singapore) when you enrol your child in an ECDA-licensed childcare centre. Eligible working mothers can receive an Additional Subsidy. Lower-income families will receive higher subsidies. Read more about the available ECDA subsidies here. All school fees listed below are before subsidies.

Childcare Centres & Infant Care in Singapore:

Mulberry Learning

Established in 2006, Mulberry Learning is an award-winning childcare centre and the category winner of the Established Brands award under the Singapore Prestige Brand Awards (SPBA). With a teacher-child ratio of 1:3 in infant care and about 1:6 for childcare, they pride themselves on making the preschool experience memorable and enjoyable while transforming a child into a competent explorer, an imaginative thinker and a creative problem solver. Mulberry Learning is the first and only preschool network in the world to be certified by the Institute for Habits of Mind, an approach shown to help preschoolers manage distractions and better focus on the task at hand. Mulberry Learning offers Reggio Emilia-inspired learning spaces and comprehensive bilingual programmes that help children acquire an expressive vocabulary in both English and Chinese. Children get the chance to go on field trips, learning journeys and excursions once per term, giving them the chance to be exposed to the world around them. Some of the unique places the students have visited vary from transportation hubs like the Changi Airport to museums like the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery. Mulberry Learning centres provide kids with healthy meals aligned with the Healthy Meals in Pre-school Programme (HMPP), and structured updates on children’s progress are provided weekly to parents through their parent app.

Age range: 2 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $1,800 (full-day); $1,600 (half-day)

Mulberry Learning, 16 locations islandwide, Tel: (+65) 6653 8082, [email protected], mulberrylearning.com

EtonHouse International School and Pre-School

EtonHouse is a leading inquiry-based preschool with campuses located islandwide offering childcare services until 7pm. The school follows MOE’s Nurturing Early Learners and ECDA’s Early Years Development Framework and is the only education group in Singapore to have a formal relationship with Reggio Children as part of its international network. EtonHouse also provides a seamless through-train progression pathway from Infant Care to High School for children from nine months to 18 years, offering the internationally recognised IBPYP, IGCSE, and International A-Levels programmes. Its educators receive high-quality professional learning on the Reggio Emilia approach. The rich student-teacher ratio means each child receives a highly personalised education that helps them grow and flourish in their own right. EtonHouse is a pioneer in bilingual education, having nurtured decades of fluent bilingual speakers, including non-native Mandarin speakers, from preschool to primary and beyond. Outdoor education is an integral part of EtonHouse’s curriculum, and they have just opened the first and only preschool in Gardens by the Bay! Book a school tour to find out more.

Age range: 9 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $2,000 to $3,000 per month

EtonHouse International School and Pre-School, multiple locations, www.etonhouse.edu.sg

Little Green House

Little Green House has been offering childcare and infant care in Singapore since 2005 and has won numerous awards for its robust academic Literacy SMART™ curriculum, developed by the same team of curriculum experts from the award-winning Mulberry Learning preschool. Moreover, creative enrichment programmes and practical hands-on activities supplement the curriculum, providing children with the proper knowledge, skills and attitudes to prepare for the future in primary school. Some of their past field trips include Bird Paradise, River Safari, Singapore Zoo, and Gardens by the Bay! Little Green House’s infant care programmes (with a teacher-child ratio of 1:5 and 1:8 for childcare) emphasise developing children’s basic, intermediate and advanced literacy skills. Age-appropriate readers, periodicals and the latest news articles are readily available at each infant care centre to stimulate the children’s interest in real-world occurrences and continuously expose them to a literacy-rich environment. Little Green House provides healthy meals aligned with the Healthy Meals in Pre-school Programme, and offers parents updates on their child’s progress weekly through the Little Green House parent app – adhoc updates can be provided to parents if requested.

Age range: 2 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $1,050 (full-day); $880 (half-day)

Little Green House, 11 locations islandwide, Tel: (+65) 6653 7146, [email protected], littlegreenhouse.com.sg

Alphabet Playhouse

Alphabet Playhouse has been a trusted premium preschool for over 27 years. This infant care centre’s award-winning curriculum aims to uncover every child’s potential by developing confident young explorers with a “Growth Mindset”. Aided by its unique World Adventurer bilingual integrated programme, which incorporates sports, music, creative arts, and top-of-the-line facilities, Alphabet Playhouse ensures top-notch education that cultivates a curious thinker, a resilient champion and a caring citizen. Alphabet Playhouse provides healthy meals aligned with the Healthy Meals in Pre-school Programme (HMPP) under Singapore’s Health Promotion Board. The preschool student-teacher ratio is generally low, from 1:6 onwards. Parents can look forward to structured updates on the child’s progress weekly through the Alphabet Playhouse parent app, with adhoc updates available when necessary. Centres arrange suitable field trips, learning journeys and excursions once per term to provide enriching learning experiences for children! Unique field trop locations include animal farms such as Hey Daries Goat Farm, S.E.A. Aquarium, and galleries such as the SCDF Gallery and HDB Health Zone Gallery.

Age range: 18 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $1,800 (full-day); $1,400 (half-day)

Alphabet Playhouse, multiple locations in Singapore including Dublin Road and East Coast Road, Tel: (+65) 6653 5618, [email protected], www.alphabetplayhouse.com.sg

Carpe Diem Preschool

Carpe Diem Preschool is a leading childcare provider with 32 centres all over the island teaching children from 18 months to 6 years old. Their inclusive, bilingual learning environment helps children master bilingualism confidently.

Age range: 18 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $800 to $1,500

Carpe Diem Preschool, multiple locations in Singapore, carpediem.com.sg

My First Skool

My First Skool is one of the anchor operators for childcare and infant care in Singapore with over 150 locations islandwide – so it won’t be hard finding an infant care centre near you. Beyond building strong fundamentals in core math and literacy, My First Skool prioritises the development of relationships in everything they do.

Age range: 2 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $1,333.80 (full-day infant care); $734.40 (full-day childcare)

My First Skool, multiple locations in Singapore, [email protected], Tel: (+65) 6509 7887, www.myfirstskool.com

PCF Sparkletots

PCF Sparkletots is the largest operator of infant care in Singapore with over 360 preschools, childcare centres and infant care in Singapore. Sparkletots has been established since 1986, offering childcare services to the Singapore community.

Age range: 2 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $1,333.80 (full-day infant care); $734.40 (full-day childcare)

PCF Sparkletots, multiple locations in Singapore, www.pcf.org.sg/sparkletots

Star Learners

Star Learners has 43 centres for preschool and infant care in Singapore, offering a literature-based curriculum to bubs all the way up to kids aged 6. Coupled with a strong activity-based approach, children learn a variety of essential skills. Under the ECDA partner operator (POP) scheme, Star Learners is the largest appointed partner and is committed to accessibility, affordability and quality.

Age range: 2 months to 6 years old
Childcare centre/infant care Singapore fees: From $720 (full-day); $540 (half-day)

Star Learners, multiple locations in Singapore, Tel: (+65) 6250 0173, [email protected], starlearners.com.sg