Singapore to trial childminding service: 1 nanny allowed to care for up to 3 infants

To support parents in caring for infants, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will trial a childminding service for infants from the second half of 2024. 

The three-year pilot programme will be for chlidren aged between two months and 18 months, and will accommodate 500 children in the first year. 

Its capacity will subsequently be increased to 700, said Minister of State Sun Xueling in Parliament on Wednesday (March 6). 

The purpose of this childminding programme is to complement the government's efforts to ramp up the number of centre-based infant care places. 

"This will be yet another caregiving option for parents," she said. 

Elaborating on the programme, Sun said that childminders, or nannies, were popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

"They are less common today as parents may be unsure of where to look for trusted childminders or they may find childminding relatively more expensive as compared to other caregiving options, such as infant care centres," she added. 

Under the pilot, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will appoint childminding operators who will hire the childminders. 

Each childminder will be allowed to care for up to three infants at once — either at their homes or at community centres or clubs. 

The cost of childminding services is estimated to be about $700 a month, similar to what a median-income family pays for full-day infant care at centres run by an anchor operator. 

Parents can also make use of the funds in the Child Development Account to further defray the cost, said Sun. 

Background checks on operators and childminders 

To ensure the safety of the children, Sun said that ECDA will conduct background checks on both operators and childminders. 

Operators will also be required to meet service requirements such as: 

• Putting in place guidelines for child-safe practices and responsibilities of childminders; 
• Disclosing childminders' profile to parents, and 
• Ensuring that childminders undergo training in areas such as basic infant care, first aid, food safety and hygiene 

In addition, ECDA and the operators will work together to develop industry standards. 

MSF will continue to engage parents, childminders and childminding operators, and announce more details later in the year, said Sun. 

READ ALSO: 10 things to consider in choosing a childcare centre in Singapore

claudiatan@asiaone.com