MCYS will facilitate the development of 200 new childcare centres by 2013, which will provide 3,000 more spaces for infant-care. This is in view of the rising demand for infant care, primarily in the newer housing estates in Singapore.
Currently, 1 in 5 childcare centres in Singapore provide infant-care services for children aged two to 18 months. Only 70 per cent of the 2,200 places in these centres are filled, so infant-care spaces are immediately available. To find spots in childcare centres for their children, parents can call the hotline at 1800-258-5812 or log on to www.childcarelink.gov.sg. MCYS also offers assistance to parents should they need help in placing their infants in centres urgently.
If parents are keen on employing nanny or baby-sitting services, Family Day Care Service, supported by MCYS, is also an option. Several childcare centres help to match trained caregivers with parents who need their services. Parents can find more information on the website listed above.
Financial Assistance
To make infant care more affordable for families, the Government offers a subsidy of $600 a month for children of working mothers, and $300 a month for children of non-working mothers. Low-income families can also tap into ComCare’s Centre-based Financial Assistance for Child Care.
The savings from a child’s Children Development Account (CDA) can also be used to pay for infant care.