MOE Kindergarten in Singapore: fees, KCare, registration and the ballot

An MOE Kindergarten (MK) is a kindergarten run by the Ministry of Education for children in K1 and K2, the two years before Primary 1, at ages 5 and 6. In 2026 the fee is $160 a month for a Singapore Citizen and $320 for a Permanent Resident, with no registration fee, and lower-income families pay less with KiFAS. Classes run for four hours a day, and KCare, the after-kindergarten care at every MK, covers the rest of a working day. Registration for the 2027 K1 intake ran from 23 to 31 March 2026; MOE had not announced dates for the 2028 intake when we checked on 11 October 2026.

This guide covers fees and subsidies, KCare, how registration and the ballot work, what an MK means for Primary 1, and how to find one near you. Every figure comes from MOE's and ECDA's own pages, read on 11 October 2026.

MOE Kindergarten at a glance

Fees and KiFAS subsidies

The MK fee is $160 a month for a citizen and $320 for a PR in 2026, and field trips and similar programmes cost nothing extra. ECDA's Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) cuts the fee for citizen children when the household earns $12,000 a month or less, or $3,000 per person for households of five or more. KiFAS applies to the MK fee only, not to KCare. Here is what it was worth from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026:

From 1 January 2027 the amounts stay the same but the income bands widen, and the ceiling rises from $12,000 to $15,000. A family earning $3,500 or less then gets the top rate. Families with a household income of $1,900 or less, or $650 per person, can also get a start-up grant of up to $240 a year. Our KiFAS calculator works out your share.

One detail you will see in our directory: ECDA's data lists the MK fee as $146.79, which is $160 before 9% GST. The fee you pay is $160.

KCare for working parents

Each MK session lasts four hours, so working parents usually add KCare, the care service MOE runs at all MKs. It operates Monday to Friday until 7pm, school holidays included, and closes on public holidays, Teachers' Day, Children's Day and up to six more days a year. You ask for KCare when you register for the MK.

For 2026 the most an MK can charge for KCare is $425 a month. Every citizen child gets a basic subsidy of $150 a month, and an extra subsidy tiered by household income, which MOE shows through a calculator on its KCare page. So before the extra subsidy, a citizen family pays up to $275 a month for KCare on top of the $160 MK fee. MOE says the KCare cap may change in 2027.

How registration works

MK registration happens once a year, in March, about nine months before K1 starts. For the 2027 intake, MOE ran it online from 9am on 23 March to 4.30pm on 31 March 2026, for children born between 2 January 2022 and 1 January 2023.

1. Pick your MKs. Check which ones are within 1km of home, because distance decides the ballot.
2. Register online during the March window, through MOE's open admissions form or your child's Early Years Centre (more below), and tick whether you want KCare.
3. Wait for the email. For 2027 K1, MOE sent results by 1 June 2026.
4. Accept the place through the online acceptance form by the deadline in the email.

Missed the window? Contact the MK directly; K2 places depend on vacancies. International students whose parent is a citizen can apply only if places remain, and for 2027 K1 MOE told them to contact the MK from September 2026. MOE had not published dates for the 2028 K1 intake, for children born in 2023, as of 11 October 2026.

Priority and the ballot

An MK generally takes up to about 140 children. When more children apply than there are places, MOE fills them in this order:

1. One-third of places go to Singapore Citizen children living within 1km whose household earns up to $4,500 a month, or $1,125 per person.
2. Citizen and PR children with a sibling in K1 to Primary 6 at the MK or its primary school.
3. All other citizen children, whatever their address or income.
4. Any other PR child.

Within each group, children of MK or primary school staff are considered first. If a group still has more applicants than places, MOE ballots by distance: children living within 500m first, then 500m to 1km, then 1km or more. MOE measures home-to-school distance with OneMap's SchoolQuery, and the bands can change from year to year.

Does an MK help with Primary 1?

Partly. An MK child can register in Phase 2A of P1 registration at the primary school where the MK is located. MOE's exact words: "admission is not guaranteed as balloting will be conducted when the number of applicants in Phase 2A exceeds the school vacancies." Our P1 registration guide explains the phases and how balloting works.

Early Years Centres: from baby to MK

MKs do not take children under 5. Instead, MOE partners with Early Years Centres run by E-Bridge, My First Skool and PCF Sparkletots, which take children from 2 months to 4 years. Every citizen and PR child enrolled in a partner EYC by 15 March of their Nursery 2 year is offered a K1 place at the partner MK, as long as they register through the EYC form.

If your child is younger, our guides to infant care in Singapore and pre-nursery and playgroup cover the years before K1.

MK or another kindergarten?

MK fees are low, but Anchor Operator kindergartens cost about the same: ECDA caps their fee at $150 a month before GST, and KiFAS applies there too. Private kindergartens set their own fees, and ECDA says children in private kindergartens cannot get KiFAS. If you need full-day care in one place, a childcare centre may suit better than an MK plus KCare; our childcare centres guide compares the costs, and our guide to choosing a preschool covers what to look for on a visit.

Find an MOE Kindergarten near you

Our preschool directory lists 56 MOE Kindergartens from ECDA's data, downloaded 11 October 2026, each with its listed fees, address and host primary school. Each town page shows every preschool in that town, MKs included: try Punggol, Sengkang or Tampines. Town pages follow URA planning areas, so MOE Kindergarten @ Punggol, in Punggol Primary School on Hougang Avenue 8, is listed under Hougang. MOE's SchoolFinder lists 60 MKs, a count that includes ones still to open, such as Rivervale in 2027, Bukit View in 2028 and Damai in 2029.

Frequently asked questions

How much is MOE Kindergarten?

In 2026, $160 a month for a Singapore Citizen and $320 for a PR, with no registration fee. KiFAS can bring a citizen's share down to as little as $1 a month for households earning $3,000 or less.

When is MOE Kindergarten registration?

Once a year in March. The 2027 K1 exercise ran from 23 to 31 March 2026. MOE had not announced dates for the 2028 intake as of 11 October 2026.

What age does MOE Kindergarten start?

K1, in the year your child turns 5. MKs teach only K1 and K2, so younger children attend a partner Early Years Centre or another preschool first.

Is MOE Kindergarten full day?

No. The MK programme is four hours, either 8am to 12pm or 1pm to 5pm. KCare at the MK extends care to 7pm on weekdays, for up to $425 a month in 2026 before subsidies.

Does MOE Kindergarten guarantee a Primary 1 place?

No. MK children can register in Phase 2A at the primary school hosting their MK, but MOE says admission is not guaranteed if the school has to ballot.