Budget 2015: More quality, affordable childcare options on the cards
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Extending efforts to keep childcare affordable, the authorities will introduce a new Partner Operator (POP) scheme, which will require childcare operators on the scheme to commit to quality improvements, and keep fees within reach of more households.
For example, a child from a median income household and enrolled in a centre with the median monthly fee of S$900, currently pays S$500 after subsidies. Should the centre come onto the POP scheme, the family will pay around S$100 less and can look forward to “quality improvements”.
“Parents will benefit from lower fees than the potential partner operators currently charge, and higher quality care,” said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who announcing these changes in his Budget Statement delivered in Parliament today (Feb 23).
The scheme will also complement the existing Anchor Operator (AOP) scheme where the anchor operators are given grants by the authorities to lower their operating costs. In return, they are expected to provide quality and affordable pre-school places.
At present, there are five anchor operators – MY World Preschool, Skool4Kidz, E-bridge Pre-school, NTUC My First Skool and PAP Community Foundation – following the expansion of the AOP scheme in January last year.
The AOP scheme currently accounts for a third of the pre-school sector, including both childcare and kindergartens.
“Through a combination of the AOP scheme and the new POP schemes, we aim for about 50 per cent of pre-school children to benefit from enhanced government support for more affordable and quality pre-school by 2020,” said Mr Tharman. This is estimated to cost S$250 million over five years, he added.
More details of this scheme will be revealed by the Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing at the Committee of Supply debate.
READ THE FULL BUDGET STATEMENT HERE
Other documents on Budget 2015 available on the Budget 2015 website.
