PAP Community Foundation’s (PCF) Sparkletots, is set to offer more financial support to about 10,000 low-income families each year.
Source: PCF/FB
Low-income families
The government-backed preschool said in their latest statement that they will allot $2 million every year over the next three years into a fund meant for low-income families with Singaporean children.
Moreover, the current Headstart Fund’s household income ceiling will also be raised from the current $2,500 to $4,500 from January 2020 onwards.
The fund which previously covered school fees for children from Nursery 2 to Kindergarten 2 will now be extended to cover younger children from infant care to Nursery 1.
With the new changes to the Headstart Fund, eligible parents will now pay about $10 or less for a full day of childcare and $5 or less for a half-day kindergarten programme.
PCF also said the monthly pre-school fees will be reduced to about $100 or less after government subsidies.
Funding for special needs children
Apart from the funding for low-income families, families with children who have special needs such as hearing or visual impairment, autism and Down syndrome will also receive double the financial support.
Currently, families with special needs children receive funds for up to $100 a month and a maximum of $1,200 a year.
