Early childhood sector aims to recruit 1,800 more infant care educators by 2030

Singapore's Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) aims to recruit 1,800 more infant care educators by 2030 to meet growing demand for infant care places. This plan follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement that monthly childcare fees will decrease to S$150 and S$300 by 2030. The lower fees will apply universally, with lower-income families paying even less. Currently, full-day childcare at government-supported preschools costs between S$365 and S$559 monthly, while infant care ranges from S$746 to S$1,256.

From September, the ECDA will expand its Manpower Hiring Grant to help preschool operators recruit and train both local and foreign educators towards early childhood certification. Training stipends will be increased by 70% for eligible trainees, with additional support for infant care certification. ECDA also seeks to utilize qualified preschool educators already equipped for infant care roles - over 2,000 hold relevant qualifications, but only about 4% are working as infant educators. The agency is exploring overseas partnerships to widen the pool of candidates.

Additionally, ECDA will introduce a new grant to assist eligible preschool operators in joining the government-supported network. This initiative aims to expand access to affordable preschool services, benefiting a wider range of operators, including smaller ones. The network currently serves about 80% of preschoolers, but wider access is needed to make lower fees accessible to more families. Details of the new grant are still being finalized, with further announcements expected later in the year.