This article is meant to provide prospective and current parents of young children with where to find infant care in East Singapore. A list of the most famous centers will be provided, with details on how to enroll.
The first thing to note is that there are two distinct types of infant care in Singapore – childcare and pre-schools. Childcare refers to daycare for children below age four (i.e., infants or toddlers), whereas pre-schools generally cater for kids between ages three and six (aka kindergarten).
Childcare centers usually provide full-time day services, including food and napping facilities; pre-schools generally provide part-time afternoon services only, where parents bring their child for pick up after work.
Childcare centers provide more support for parents, including help with laundry and housework to have more free time to spend on work or parenting. However, childcare centers tend to be relatively expensive compared to pre-schools.
Though both types of institutions offer various levels of childcare services within their centers depending on the licensing status and age groups they cater for, there are three categories: unlicensed (baby room), semi-licensed (infant room), and licensed (nursery). All three cater firstly towards infant care and toddlers, with licensed centers catering to older children. The distinction between unlicensed and semi-licensed is whether a center has been issued a childminding license from the government to provide infant care.
Not every child requires infant care, and some parents prefer a more home-based approach where their older children can be taken care of by nannies or maids in the comfort of their own homes with less disruption from other children, though this is also more expensive. Growth points such as Geylang, Eunos, and Macpherson offer childcare options for parents who do not wish to send their kids to preschool or want a full-time babysitter instead.
For parents who are asking where to find infant care in East Singapore, the following is a list of popular childcare and pre-schools:
The majority of childcare centers require children to be at least six months old. The above lists include some semi-licensed and licensed infant rooms catering to infants; however, only one listed center (My First Skool) has an unlicensed baby room. That means you can find help for infants in:
Avondale Child Development Centre (Lorong Chencharu 069758). Licensed childminding services from 18 months onwards; semi-licensed baby room from 6 months.
Geylang Methodist Church (3 Lor 1 Geylang 078883); Semi-licensed Infant Room from 6 months.
My First Skool (Block 477A Aljunied Ave 2 050477); Unlicensed baby room from birth.
Certified early childhood educators, girls only.
My First Home Child Care (block 222B Compassvale Walk S(543211))
As for pre-schools, the following list is a representative sampling of most of what is available in East Singapore:
Aura Montessori Preschool (Blk 534 Hougang Avenue 8 #01-510 051534); licensed preschool with part-time morning and afternoon sessions catering towards 3 to 6-year-olds
.Emmanuel Lutheran Church Daycare Centre (Blk 28 Sin Ming Drive 062867)Licensed childminding services from 3 years onwards; no infant facilities. Eunos Presbyterian Community Services (Block 242 Eunos Ave 4 074024) Licensed childminding services from 18 months ahead; no infant facilities.
Greenridge Childcare Centre (Block 132 Hougang Ave 8 #01-1290 132032); licensed child care center with part-time morning and afternoon sessions catering towards 3 to 6-year-olds.
My First Skool @ Simei Green Mall (5 Simei Avenue 3 068983); Unlicensed pre-school, open on weekday mornings only caring for toddlers aged 2 to 5 years old, and caters for children with an autism spectrum disorder.2gether Christian Child Care (Blk 434 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-3506 045034); Licensed childminding services from 18 months; no infant facilities.
Bottom line
it is relatively more expensive to send your child to an infant care (and presumably pre-school/kindergarten) center than to hire a nanny. Check out the fees on each center’s website before committing. And remember that if you want your baby cared for in the comfort of your own home, do some research on maids or nannies instead; many of them are listed here.
Not every family will find these recommendations suitable, but it should be helpful for those who are asking where to find infant care in East Singapore.
