Infant care in Singapore: fees, subsidies and how to choose a centre

Infant care in Singapore is centre-based care, regulated by ECDA, for babies aged 2 to 18 months, usually from 7am to 7pm on weekdays. Across the 894 centres in our directory that list a full-day infant care fee with ECDA, the median is $1,235 a month for a Singapore Citizen baby, before subsidies and GST. If the mother works at least 56 hours a month, the government takes off a $600 basic subsidy, plus up to $710 more for households earning $12,000 a month or less. This guide covers what infant care costs, the subsidy table, how to apply on LifeSG, and how to choose a centre.

Fees come from ECDA's open data, downloaded on 11 October 2026; rules and subsidy amounts come from ECDA's own pages, read the same day.

Infant care at a glance

What infant care is

ECDA regulates infant care centres, which look after children from 2 to 18 months old. A full-day programme runs from 7am to 7pm, and centres may also offer half-day or flexible care of at least 12 hours a week, in sessions of 3 hours or more. Centres open 5 or 5 and a half days a week and close on Sundays and public holidays. ECDA sets the ratio at one teacher to five infants.

Many infant care centres sit inside a childcare centre, so your baby can move up to playgroup at 18 months without changing schools. When that happens, ECDA reassesses your subsidy, because childcare subsidies are smaller. Our childcare centres guide covers the years from 18 months to 6.

What infant care costs

Our preschool directory holds every centre's fees as listed with ECDA. For full-day infant care for a citizen baby, before subsidies and GST, the lowest fee was $1,144.50, the median $1,235 and the highest $3,642 a month.

Government-supported operators cap their fees. The five Anchor Operators, PCF Sparkletots, My First Skool, My World, Skool4Kidz and E-Bridge, charge at most $1,235 a month for full-day infant care, a cap unchanged since 1 January 2023. Partner Operators, 380 centres run by 33 operators in the 2026 to 2030 scheme, charge at most $1,290 for full day and $920 for half day from 1 January 2026. All three caps are before GST. Private centres set their own fees.

Fees also differ a lot by town. In Tampines, for example, 65 of the 127 centres take infants, with full-day fees from $1,192.66 to $2,480; see our Tampines page or pick your own town from the directory.

Infant care subsidies

Every Singapore Citizen baby in an ECDA-regulated infant care centre can get a subsidy, paid straight to the centre. How much depends on whether the mother works and on household income. ECDA counts a mother as working if she works at least 56 hours a month, full-time, part-time or freelance. For a divorced, separated or widowed father bringing up the child alone, the rule applies to him.

A working mother gets a basic subsidy of $600 a month for full-day infant care, plus an additional subsidy of up to $710 if the household earns $12,000 a month or less, or $3,000 per person in a household of five or more. ECDA's table from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2026:

From 1 January 2027 the amounts stay the same but the bands widen, and the income ceiling rises to $15,000, or $3,400 per person. A household earning $3,500 or less then gets the top rate. For half-day infant care, the basic subsidy is $300 for a working mother and the additional subsidy goes up to $355.

If the mother does not work, the basic subsidy is $150 and there is no additional subsidy. She can apply for time-limited full support under Special Approval if she cannot work for a reason ECDA lists, such as looking for a job, being pregnant, or caring full-time for a younger child aged 24 months or under who is not in preschool. Your baby must attend at least one day in a month to get that month's subsidy.

Our childcare subsidy calculator works out your share for a given fee. Families earning $3,500 or less with difficult circumstances can ask the centre about ECDA's extra fee assistance and its start-up grant, capped at $1,000 per child.

How to apply for the subsidy on LifeSG

1. Confirm a place at an ECDA-regulated centre first. You can only apply for the subsidy after that.
2. On or after your baby's first day, the centre starts the subsidy form for you in the LifeSG app.
3. You and your spouse complete it within 14 calendar days.
4. ECDA means-tests your household and gives the outcome within 1 to 4 weeks.

ECDA reassesses the subsidy when your child moves to a new preschool, when they progress from infant care to childcare, and when they go from Nursery 2 to K1. The Baby Bonus Child Development Account (CDA) can pay registration fees, programme fees and deposits at childcare centres, so the co-payment can come out of the CDA.

Finding a centre and getting a place

Two official tools help. In the LifeSG app, search for "Search for a preschool" under Services; if you log in with Singpass it shows estimated fees after subsidies. Our directory lists every centre by town with its fees, hours and the date it last updated them with ECDA, so you can compare before you visit.

ECDA leaves enrolment, withdrawal and fee rules to each centre, so waitlists, deposits and registration fees vary. Popular centres near housing estates fill early, so register while you are still pregnant if you need a place soon after maternity leave. More places are coming: ECDA has said its Anchor Operators will add about 6,000 infant care places between 2025 and 2029.

How to choose an infant care centre

• Visit at drop-off or feeding time and watch how teachers handle a crying baby.
• Ask how many infants each teacher looks after, and whether your baby will have a main carer.
• Find out how they store and warm expressed breast milk, and how they record feeds, naps and nappies.
• Check the sick-child policy, since babies catch a lot in their first year.
• Look for SPARK, ECDA's voluntary quality mark: 843 centres were certified and 145 had the higher Commendation as of 30 September 2026.
• Ask about the deposit, the registration fee and the notice period before you sign.

Our list of 10 questions to ask an infant care centre goes further, and our guides to separation anxiety when starting childcare and why children fall sick at childcare help with the first months.

Infant care or another option?

You have other options besides a centre. ECDA's childminding pilot, running from 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2027, places citizen babies aged 2 to 18 months with a trained childminder who looks after one to three infants, for $33 a full day of 10 hours or $16.50 for a half day of 5 hours, before GST. Many families use a helper or grandparents instead. Our guide to infant care vs a helper vs grandparents weighs them up, and our calculator comparing infant care with a carer at home puts numbers on it. Older babies move on to playgroup and pre-nursery.

Frequently asked questions

How much is infant care in Singapore?

The median full-day fee across 894 centres in ECDA's data was $1,235 a month on 11 October 2026, before subsidies and GST, with a range from $1,144.50 to $3,642. Anchor Operators cap full-day fees at $1,235 and Partner Operators at $1,290.

How much is the infant care subsidy?

For a working mother, $600 a month basic, plus up to $710 more depending on household income, for households earning up to $12,000 a month in 2026 and up to $15,000 from 2027. If the mother does not work, it is $150 a month.

What age can a baby start infant care?

From 2 months. Infant care covers babies up to 18 months, after which they move to a playgroup class in childcare.

Do I need to work full-time to get the full infant care subsidy?

No. ECDA counts the mother as working if she works at least 56 hours a month, which includes part-time and freelance work.

Can I use my Child Development Account for infant care?

Yes. The CDA can pay registration fees, programme fees and deposits at infant and childcare centres.