Preschool
Choosing and registering for preschool
Infant care from 2 months, childcare from 18 months, kindergarten from 3 years. Register directly with the centre; MOE Kindergartens have one annual window.
For: Parents of children aged 2 months to 6 years.
Decide the type
Full-day childcare (7am to 7pm) suits working parents; kindergarten runs 3 to 4 hours a day. Infant care covers 2 to 18 months.
Preschools near you →Check vacancies
ECDA publishes a 7-month vacancy forecast per age group. Green means a place now; amber within 3 to 6 months. Join waitlists at two or three centres.
Vacancies by centre →Work out the fee after subsidy
Working mothers get a $300 basic subsidy for full-day childcare ($600 infant care) plus an additional subsidy by household income. Anchor and partner operators cap fees.
Subsidy calculator →Register with the centre
Bring the child's birth certificate, both parents' NRICs and proof of employment for the working-mother subsidy. Deposits are usually one month's fee.
ECDA subsidies →MOE Kindergarten (optional)
K1 registration runs for about a week each March for the following year. Children who attend get Phase 2A priority at the host primary school.
MOE Kindergartens →
Common questions
- When should I start looking?
- Popular centres fill 6 to 12 months ahead for infant care. Look at vacancies around your due date for infant care and a year before you need childcare.
- What is SPARK?
- ECDA's quality accreditation. It is voluntary, so a centre without it is not necessarily weaker.
Next stage: Primary 1 registration →
Rules summarised from MOE, ECDA and university publications for 2026. Always confirm on the official page before acting.