What Is The Best Age To Start Infant Care In Singapore? 5 Things You Must Know!
Infant care is becoming increasingly common for younger families in Singapore, especially those where both parents in the household are working.
These programmes are not only designed to provide children aged between 2 to 18 months old with nursery facilities and dedicated care from childcare professionals but also a safe and nurturing environment where they can learn and explore in their early years.
When To Start Infant Care In Singapore?
For most working mothers, they begin to make these arrangements as soon as they are in their second trimester. Some start to tour different schools to make an informed decision.
Others might opt to leave their little ones with grandparents, which is convenient for them as they live close by.
Other families choose to send their little ones to daycare after their first birthday. The goal is to improve their social skills, strengthen muscle development and help engage them in a multi-sensory environment.
To help you make an informed decision during the selection process, here are 5 things to look out for when looking for the right infant care centre for your child.
5 Considerations To Choose The Best Infant Care In Singapore
1. Understand The Type Of Program & Curriculum Available
The first step in choosing the right infant care centre is to choose the ideal curriculum that best suits your child.
With a variety of different programmes across schools, this is where it can get overwhelming. Take the time to go over the different curriculums and syllabus styles that the schools provide.
Would you prefer a programme with a more structured syllabus, or one that’s more flexible? Do you want a curriculum that provides hands-on, outdoor learning activities? Or perhaps an infant care centre that specialises in early intervention and special needs programmes?
Once you’re clear about the different curricula available, the next step would be to decide on a full-day, half-day programme, or a mix of both.
For families where both parents are working, a full-day programme during the work week would be ideal. This allows your child to get supervised care throughout the day, giving you the flexibility to spend the day however you like before picking up your little one after work or play.
At AIS, we provide a full-day program, 5 days a week, all meals for the day are included along with naptime in the middle of the day.
Whatever your needs are, consider the curriculum and program avaliable when coming up with a shortlist of schools for infant care.
2. Be Aware of The Fees According To Age Groups
One common misconception is how the fees for infant care are consistent across all age groups. However, this isn’t always the case.
Depending on the school, infant care may cater to a range of ages. Here at AIS, our Infant Care Program is catered to infants and toddlers starting from two months old.
Typically, general school fees tend to drop the older the child gets. The reason why infant care is slightly more expensive than that of child care is due to the staff-to-child ratio. Younger age groups would normally need an extra level of attention, care, and commitment, hence the difference in fees.
On top of the age group factor, fees may also vary depending on whether you’re sending your child to a public or private preschool.
To get a better idea, take a look at our AIS Infant Care fees here.
3. Check For Subsidies
To help alleviate any financial burden, childcare subsidies are also available for parents.
In Singapore, there is the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA-licensed) centre subsidy that allows up to $600 per month for full-day infant care programmes. However, subsidies should just be one aspect of choosing your infant care provider.
Private international schools might provide subsidies on a case-by-case basis which might be applicate for you. Ensure that you take advantage of all the subsidy benefits available for you and your child to offset the cost of infant care.
4. Enquire About The Daily Meals & Nutrition
Apart from the curriculum and learning environment your child will be in, knowing what type of meals they’ll be getting daily is also a key consideration when choosing an infant care centre.
This is especially important for parents who choose to enroll their kids in a full-day programme as meals are not always provided in half-day programmes.
Knowing how the school prepares your child’s food on a day-to-day basis is key as it plays an important role in their overall development and growth.
Some factors worth thinking about include whether the school plans their meals with an in-house nutritionist and if they’re prepared in accordance with the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) guidelines to ensure a nutritious diet for the kids.
At AIS, we welcome parents to provide their milk or formula for their infants as well. Our infant care can be customised to your needs. To help facilitate this, we help assist with bottle-feeding by warming up the milk in our mini-kitchen within the infant care pod.
5. Take A Tour Of The Centre’s Facilities
Sometimes it’s not enough to make such a major decision based just on photos online. Take the extra step and book a tour of your preferred school(s) to get a better idea of the surroundings and overall environment.
This is also a great opportunity for parents to observe how the teachers communicate with one another, how they handle the infants and keep them engaged, as well as the cleanliness and hygiene standards of the centre.
At the end of the day, this is where your child will spend most of his days in a week. As parents, you should only want the most safe and nurturing environment for your little ones.
Book Your AIS Tour Today!
Take a look at your child’s potential learning environment when you book a tour with us at AIS! From infant care all the way to secondary education, our team is committed to providing your child with the highest quality education and care as they grow and learn through the years.
Book your tour and get started today!
