Part time helper in Singapore: who can legally help, and how to hire a babysitter

You can get a part time helper in Singapore, but you can't borrow another family's live-in helper. MOM says a migrant domestic worker (MDW) can only work for her own employer, at the home address declared to MOM. Legal part-time help comes from a company in MOM's Household Services Scheme, a babysitter who is allowed to work here, or ECDA's childminding pilot for babies.

How to hire part-time help or a babysitter, step by step

1. Write down the hours and tasks you need. Keep cleaning and childcare apart: MOM's Household Services Scheme covers chores like home cleaning and grocery shopping, and MOM says basic child-minding is no longer supported under its pilot from March 2026.
2. Check that the person is allowed to work here. ICA says a PR needs no work pass, and MOM says all foreigners need a valid pass before they start work. Another family's helper can't work for you at all.
3. Meet her in person, with your baby in the room. Reuse the questions in our domestic helper interview list, and ask what she'd do if your baby choked or wouldn't settle.
4. Ask for references and call each one. The American Academy of Pediatrics tells parents to ask for references and check them carefully.
5. Book a paid trial while you're at home. The AAP suggests paying a new sitter for an hour of care while you're there, then deciding if she suits your family.
6. Agree pay, hours and tasks in writing. Note the rate, the start and end times, what happens when either of you cancels, and whether any chores are part of the job.
7. Show her around before she's alone with your baby: where the first aid kit is, how your baby sleeps and what your baby eats. Our safe sleep guide and first aid kit checklist give you the list to go through.
8. Leave an emergency card on the fridge. SCDF says to call 995 for emergencies. Add your mobile numbers, a neighbour or grandparent nearby, and your child's GP or polyclinic.

Why another family's helper can't work for you

MOM's employment rules are short. A helper can only work for her employer at the address declared to MOM, and she cannot take on work with other employers. MOM's FAQ adds that part-time work is an offence for her, with or without her employer's consent. So when a neighbour's helper offers to clean on her rest day, or to watch your baby for a few hours, the answer has to be no.

Both sides carry the risk. MOM says an employer who illegally deploys a helper to another home can face a financial penalty of up to $10,000, and may be banned from employing helpers. In its e-newsletter for employers, MOM says a helper caught working illegally may be banned from working in Singapore. That would end her work here.

There's one exception, and it's for your own helper. MOM lets her look after your child or parent at a relative's home, such as the grandparents' flat, once you notify MOM. Before you do, you need her written agreement, and she must not do the full housework in both homes. Still deciding between a full-time helper, infant care and grandparents? Our care comparison sets out the options, how to hire a helper covers MOM's steps, and the cost of a helper adds up the bills.

Who can legally give you part-time help

ECDA's childminding pilot for babies

If you want one carer for a young baby, ECDA runs a childminding pilot from 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2027. It's open to Singapore Citizen babies aged 2 to 18 months who aren't enrolled in an infant care centre at the same time. The childminders work for one of three operators that ECDA has appointed, and each childminder looks after one to three babies at a time, in her own home or in a community space.

ECDA runs a background check on each childminder before she starts, and every childminder must finish training such as infant first aid. Subsidised care comes in half-day (5-hour) or full-day (10-hour) blocks, between 7am and 7pm on weekdays, except public holidays. ECDA lists the fees as $16.50 for a half day and $33.00 for a full day, before GST, and you can pay with your Child Development Account.

To find one, enter your postal code on ECDA's childminder search, then contact the operator directly. To weigh it against a centre, read our infant care guide or compare infant care costs with other care.

Babysitters: passes and the five-child line

A student can make a good babysitter for a few hours a week or the school holidays. MOM lets a Student's Pass holder aged 14 and above, studying full-time at a school on its list, work during the vacation without a work pass. In term time, MOM's list of schools is shorter, and the work is capped at 16 hours a week. Exchange students can't work, and MOM says it's an offence for a foreign student to work without a valid work pass.

For anyone else from overseas, MOM's rule is plain: all foreigners need a valid pass before they start work. That covers a spouse here on a Dependant's Pass. MOM's page for that pass says holders who want to work can get a work pass to do so, and the pass has to come first. Ask to see her pass and check what it allows before you agree a start date.

Some babysitters mind children in their own flat. The Early Childhood Development Centres Act covers care given habitually to 5 or more children below 7, for a fee, by someone who isn't a relative or guardian of all of them. A home where that happens counts as a centre under the Act, and ECDA says a centre must not start operating or take payment without approval under it. A sitter who minds fewer than 5 children falls outside that definition.

What to say if your helper is asked to work part-time

A neighbour may ask your helper to clean or babysit on her rest day. MOM asks employers to remind helpers that part-time work like cleaning other people's houses is against the law. Keep it calm and about her: "MOM doesn't allow you to work for anyone else, even on your day off. If you're short of money, tell me and we'll sort something out." Our guides to rest day rules and salary advances cover the next step.

Who to contact

• Not sure an arrangement with your helper is legal: read MOM's employment rules, and notify MOM from that page before she cares for your child at a relative's home.
• Booking a household services company: MOM's HSS page lists the companies in the scheme. For its elder-minding services, MOM advises having someone at home to supervise the first time.
• Questions about the childminding pilot: ECDA says to contact the appointed operators directly, through its childminder search.
• A babysitter's pass: MOM's work pass pages set out what each pass allows.
• A medical emergency or danger to your child: call 995, as SCDF advises.
• You think a carer has hurt your child: call 995 if there's danger now, then see our family violence help guide for the official routes.

Frequently asked questions

Is a part time maid legal in Singapore?

Yes, if the worker comes through the right route. MOM's Household Services Scheme lets companies hire migrant workers for part-time services like home cleaning and grocery shopping. Hiring someone else's live-in helper part-time is not. MOM's answer to that question is no, and part-time work is an offence for her even with her employer's consent.

Can my helper work part time for others?

No. MOM's rule is that she can only work for you, at the address declared to MOM. Part-time work for anyone else is an offence on her rest day too, and even if you agree to it. If she needs extra income, talk it through with her.

How do I hire a babysitter in Singapore?

Check she's allowed to work here, interview her, call her references and book a paid trial while you're home. Agree pay and hours in writing, then walk her through safety and leave an emergency card. If she's on a Student's Pass, check that MOM's exemption covers her school and her hours.

Can I get a babysitter for my baby in Singapore with a subsidy?

ECDA's childminding pilot is the closest option. It's for Singapore Citizen babies aged 2 to 18 months, with fees of $16.50 a half day or $33.00 a full day before GST. You can use Child Development Account money for it, and find a childminder near you through ECDA's search.

Can a part time helper in Singapore look after my kids?

Don't count on it. MOM says basic child-minding is no longer supported under the HSS pilot from March 2026, so ask any company exactly what its worker may do. For childcare, look at a babysitter who can legally work here, ECDA's pilot for babies, or a centre in our preschool directory.