ECDA to hire 1,800 more infant care educators by 2030

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) plans to hire an additional 1,800 infant care educators by 2030. This announcement was made by Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming on August 28. The goal is to meet the anticipated increase in demand as the government strives to make preschool education more affordable and accessible.

At ECDA's Teachers' Day celebrations, Goh highlighted the need for this hiring increase during his speech. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong revealed in his National Day Rally on August 23 that full-day childcare and infant care fees will be gradually reduced to S$150 and S$300, respectively, by 2030, which is less than half of the current fees.

To further support this initiative, ECDA announced a new grant to assist eligible preschool operators in transitioning to the government-supported network. These grants will make it easier for smaller operators to access government support while maintaining diverse programs. Details on the grant will be released later in the year.

To meet the rising demand for infant care educators, ECDA will extend the Manpower Hiring Grant (MHG) starting September 2026. The grant will provide up to 70% in training stipends and up to 50% in course fee subsidies for eligible local and foreign trainees in early childhood certification, including the Assistant Infant Educator (AIE) and Fundamentals Certificate in Infant Care (FCIC) courses.

Funding support will be expanded by three years, until December 31, 2030. ECDA is also exploring partnerships with overseas institutions to increase the pool of potential caregiving candidates. Goh emphasized the importance of infant care educators, stating that they create safe, nurturing environments for infants to grow, learn, and develop holistically. He expressed gratitude to all educators for their continuous efforts.