Childcare, preschools and infant care subsidies — Eligibility and requirements checklist

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.

Childcare, preschools and infant care subsidies in Singapore are government payments that reduce fees at licensed centres, with the largest support reserved for citizen children and working mothers. Families should confirm centre licensing, citizenship-linked eligibility and enrolment timelines before applying for any subsidy.

How childcare, preschools and infant care subsidies work

Preschool, childcare and infant care in Singapore are delivered by centres licensed and regulated by the Early Childhood Development Agency, and centre licensing is governed by the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017. Subsidies reduce the monthly fee and come in a Basic Subsidy, available to families with a Singapore citizen child enrolled in a licensed centre, and an Additional Subsidy that scales with the mother’s working status and household income. The co-funding of parenthood support has its statutory footing in the Child Development Co-Savings Act 2001. See the Early Childhood Development Agency for licensed centres and current rates.

Who this is for

The subsidies chiefly benefit citizen children; a child’s citizenship, not the parent’s, drives the Basic Subsidy. Permanent-resident and foreign families generally pay unsubsidised or lower-subsidised fees, though some centres offer their own support. Working-mother households receive the larger Additional Subsidy. Families weighing the total cost of relocating with young children often read this alongside our sister-site guide to Childcare, preschools and infant care subsidies — Timeline and processing benchmarks.

Types of care and documents

Infant care covers roughly two to eighteen months, childcare covers eighteen months to below seven years, and kindergarten covers the pre-primary years. To claim subsidies, families typically need the child’s birth certificate showing citizenship, the mother’s employment evidence for the Additional Subsidy, and household income documents. Applications are usually made through the enrolling centre. Where a parent’s own residence or work status is in play, our group guide to Declaring Dividends in Singapore: What Directors Need to Know (2026) sets out the corporate and pass context.

Cost and timeline benchmarks

Before subsidy, full-day childcare commonly costs S$1,000 to S$2,000 a month and infant care more, often S$1,500 to S$2,700, at private centres, with anchor and partner operators charging within fee caps. The Basic Subsidy for a citizen child reduces childcare fees by a fixed monthly amount, and the Additional Subsidy for a working mother can reduce them substantially further depending on household income. Subsidy applications processed through the centre generally take a few weeks to confirm.

Step-by-step: applying

Choose an ECDA-licensed centre with a vacancy. Enrol the child and complete the subsidy application through the centre. Provide the child’s citizenship evidence and, for the Additional Subsidy, the mother’s employment and household income documents. Confirm the net fee after subsidy. Keep documents current, as employment changes can alter the Additional Subsidy. Our group tax note on Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) in Singapore 2026: Filing Deadlines, the Revenue Waiver and Instalment Benefits covers residence points that families settling long term should check.

Common mistakes

Families often assume the parent’s PR status secures the Basic Subsidy, when it is the child’s citizenship that counts; miss the working-mother evidence needed for the Additional Subsidy; enrol at an unlicensed arrangement that carries no subsidy; or overlook that fee caps apply only at anchor and partner operators, not all centres.

How the Basic and Additional Subsidies stack

For a Singapore citizen child at a licensed centre, the Basic Subsidy applies regardless of the mother’s working status, while the Additional Subsidy is layered on top for working mothers and tapers as household income rises. The two together can reduce a working-family’s net childcare fee substantially, which is why confirming eligibility for both, and keeping the mother’s employment evidence current, is worth the administrative effort. Changes in employment or income should be reported, because they can change the Additional Subsidy mid-year.

Anchor Operator and Partner Operator centres charge within fee caps set by the authorities, which keeps net fees predictable, whereas private centres set their own fees and the subsidy simply offsets part of a higher gross figure.

Choosing a centre and securing a place

Demand for infant care in particular outstrips supply in many areas, so families should register interest early and join waiting lists well before the intended start date. When comparing centres, look beyond fees to the curriculum approach, teacher-to-child ratios, hygiene and safety practices, and location relative to home and work. Confirm the centre is licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency, since only licensed centres attract government subsidies.

Fees, timelines and thresholds at a glance

  • Private full-day childcare before subsidy: about S$1,000 to S$2,000 per month
  • Infant care before subsidy: about S$1,500 to S$2,700 per month
  • Basic Subsidy: for a Singapore citizen child at a licensed centre
  • Additional Subsidy: scales with the mother’s working status and household income

FAQs

Does the Basic Subsidy depend on the parent or the child's citizenship?
The child's. The Basic Subsidy is available where a Singapore citizen child is enrolled in a licensed centre, regardless of the parent's own status.

What extra support do working mothers get?
The Additional Subsidy, which scales with the mother's working hours and household income and can reduce fees substantially.

Are foreign children eligible for subsidies?
Government subsidies are largely reserved for citizen children; foreign and many PR families pay unsubsidised fees, though individual centres may offer support.

Who licenses childcare centres?
The Early Childhood Development Agency, under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017.

Related guides across the Raffles group

Authoritative sources: the Ministry of Education; the Early Childhood Development Agency; the Ministry of Health.

Need help with this? Call, SMS or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133, or email [email protected]. Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.

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