Full day vs half day childcare in Singapore: hours, subsidies and how to choose

Full day vs half day childcare in Singapore mostly comes down to the hours you need covered and the subsidy each one gets. ECDA says a full-day programme runs from 7am to 7pm. If the mother works at least 56 hours a month, full day gets a $300 Basic Subsidy and half day gets $150. If she isn't working, both get $150.

How to choose between full day and half day childcare, step by step

1. List both parents' work hours and commutes, door to door. If your day runs past lunch, a half-day place needs a grandparent or your helper for the rest of it.
2. Check the mother's hours against ECDA's rule. ECDA counts her as working at 56 hours a month or more, and part-time and freelance work count too.
3. Compare the subsidy for each option in our childcare subsidy calculator. A working mother's Basic Subsidy is $300 for full day and $150 for half day, ECDA says.
4. Check the full-day fee against ECDA's cap in our fee cap calculator. The cap is $610 a month at Anchor Operators and $650 at Partner Operators, before GST.
5. Ask each centre how its day runs: meals, rest time, outdoor play and when the half-day session ends. ECDA's page sets hours for full day only, so the half-day times come from the centre.
6. Ask how a switch works if your hours change. Under ECDA's Code of Practice, the centre updates the change by the 7th of the following month, so your subsidy can be reassessed.
7. Visit at drop-off or pick-up with our childcare centre visit checklist. ECDA suggests asking about the staff-child ratio and watching how teachers talk with the children.
8. Try the programme for a month, then review it with the teacher. ECDA says each preschool sets its own enrolment, withdrawal and fee policies, so read the notice period before you sign.

Full day, half day and flexi-care at a glance

ECDA's rules cover three kinds of preschool. Childcare centres take children from 18 months to below 7 years. They run a full-day programme from 7am to 7pm and may add half-day or flexible options. Flexible care, called flexi-care in ECDA's subsidy rules, means at least 12 hours a week in sessions of 3 hours or more. Kindergartens run a half-day programme 5 days a week and close in the MOE school holidays, unless they follow an international calendar.

The day inside the centre changes too. In full day, ECDA's Code of Practice asks for at least 1 hour of active play a day, 30 minutes of it outdoors. In half day it's at least half an hour, 3 times a week. ECDA requires every preschool to serve food that's nutritious, balanced and varied. At a kindergarten, though, meals can be an optional extra charge, so ask what the fee covers.

Infant care, for babies from 2 to 18 months, has the same three options and bigger subsidies. Our infant care guide has those figures. If your plan is half day plus family help, our comparison of centre care, a helper and grandparents weighs it up.

How the subsidies differ

Every Singapore Citizen child at an infant or childcare centre can get ECDA's Basic Subsidy. The Additional Subsidy comes on top if the mother is working and the gross household income is $12,000 a month or less. Households of 5 or more can use $3,000 per person instead. From 1 Jan 2027, ECDA raises those limits to $15,000 and $3,400.

The second figure is the most the Additional Subsidy pays, at the lowest income band, and it falls as income rises. So the gap between full day and half day depends on the mother's work. If she works, full day earns twice the Basic Subsidy. If she doesn't, both get $150 and neither gets the Additional Subsidy. Put your own income into our subsidy calculator to see your figure.

Two exceptions help. Households earning $6,000 or less a month, or $1,500 per person, get full subsidies whatever her working status; from 1 Jan 2027 those limits become $7,500 and $1,700. She can also ask for time-limited higher subsidies under Special Approval. ECDA's reasons include looking for a job, pregnancy, and caring full-time for a child aged 24 months or under who isn't in preschool.

Your child must attend at least one day in a month to get that month's subsidy, ECDA says. Flexi-care adds one rule: you pay a full month's fee, or the centre can't claim the subsidy.

Fee caps at anchor and partner operators

ECDA funds two groups of operators that agree to a fee cap. Anchor Operators keep to $610 a month for full-day childcare, $1,235 for full-day infant care and $150 for kindergarten, before GST. Partner Operators keep to $650 for full-day childcare and $1,290 for infant care for Singapore Citizen children. Their current term runs to 31 December 2030.

For childcare and infant care, ECDA's pages give caps for full-day places only, so ask any centre for its half-day fee in writing. You can compare listed fees by town in our preschool directory. Our guide to childcare centres explains how the two schemes differ.

Teacher-child ratios by age

ECDA's Code of Practice sets a minimum number of staff for each class. In programme hours, typically 9am to 5pm, the minimums are:

• Infant care, 2 to 18 months: 1 staff member to 5 infants
• Playgroup: 1 teacher to 8 children
• Pre-Nursery: 1 teacher to 12 children
• Nursery: 1 teacher to 15 children
• K1: 1 teacher to 20 children
• K2: 1 teacher to 25 children

Outside programme hours, typically 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm, the numbers go up. In Nursery, for example, it's 1 to 20 instead of 1 to 15. A full-day child spends part of every day in those hours, so ask who covers them. Our guide to choosing a preschool has ECDA's full ratio table.

Kindergarten plus KCare as another route

If your child will attend an MOE Kindergarten, its half-day class plus KCare covers a working day. MOE offers KCare to parents who need a full-day service. It runs Monday to Friday until 7pm, school holidays included, and it includes meals. For 2027 the most it can charge is $435.40 a month, and every Singapore Citizen child gets a $150 basic subsidy.

MOE is also moving its kindergartens to one full-day model. Two MOE Kindergartens pilot it in 2027, and the rest follow from 2028 to 2030. Those open from 7am to 7pm, with a full-day programme or a half-day one from 7am to 12.30pm, and they don't run KCare. Our MOE Kindergarten guide covers fees and registration.

Who to contact

• Your bill shows the full fee with no subsidy: ask the centre first, because ECDA pays subsidies straight to the preschool. ECDA's subsidy page lists this case under its related questions.
• Your income or work changes: ask the preschool for a subsidy reassessment, which ECDA allows when your family's circumstances change.
• The mother stops work, is pregnant or is looking for a job: ask the centre about Special Approval, ECDA's time-limited higher subsidy.
• An Anchor Operator fee looks higher than the cap: ECDA's Anchor Operator page lists sector_funding@ecda.gov.sg and the hotline 1800-111-2222.
• A question about a Partner Operator centre: ECDA's Partner Operator page points you to contact@ecda.gov.sg.
• KCare at an MOE Kindergarten your child already attends: MOE says to speak with the MK Centre Head.

Frequently asked questions

Full day vs half day childcare in Singapore: which suits a working family?

Full day is the one that covers an office day. For a working mother it also carries a $300 Basic Subsidy, against $150 for half day. Half day works when someone is free for the rest of the day. If your child finds long days hard at first, our guide to starting childcare has settling-in steps.

How does half day childcare in Singapore work?

A childcare centre can offer half day beside its full-day programme. ECDA's page doesn't set half-day hours, so ask the centre for its session times. A working mother gets a $150 Basic Subsidy, plus up to $235 in Additional Subsidy at the lowest income band. MOE's new full-day kindergartens list their half-day programme as 7am to 12.30pm.

What are childcare hours in Singapore?

ECDA says full-day childcare runs from 7am to 7pm, 5 or 5 and a half days a week. Centres close on Sundays and gazetted public holidays. Kindergartens run half-day, 5 days a week, and close for the MOE school holidays.

What is the preschool teacher child ratio in Singapore?

In programme hours, ECDA's minimums are 1 teacher to 8 children in playgroup, 12 in Pre-Nursery, 15 in Nursery, 20 in K1 and 25 in K2. Infant care is 1 staff member to 5 infants. Early and late in the day, one staff member may look after more children.

Is flexicare childcare subsidised?

Yes. Flexi-care is ECDA's flexible option of at least 12 hours a week, in sessions of 3 hours or more. A working mother's Basic Subsidy is $110 for 12 to 24 hours a week and $220 for 36 to 48 hours. You have to pay a full month's fee for the subsidy to apply.

Can my child switch from half day to full day?

Ask your centre, since enrolment rules are its own. If it agrees, the centre must update the change with ECDA by the 7th of the following month so the subsidy can be reassessed. If the centre is an Anchor or Partner Operator, check the new full-day fee against the cap.