IN HER letter, "Better infant-care services key to raising birth rate" (my paper, Feb 25), Ms Chow Lai May wrote that a lack of infant-care services and high fees for infant care have deterred couples from having more children.
About 160 out of 800 childcare centres, or one in five, provide infant-care services for children aged two to 18 months.
Only 70 per cent of the 2,200 places in these centres are filled, so infant-care places are available at the national level.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) recognises that there is high demand for infant care in some areas in Singapore, especially in newer housing estates.
MCYS can assist parents should they need to place their infants urgently.
Parents can call a hotline on 1800-258-5812 or search for centres offering infant-care services at www.childcarelink.gov.sg.
There is no quota for infant-care places in each centre.
However, centres need to meet space norms, a child-staff ratio and other licensing requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of infants.
As part of the 2008 Marriage & Parenthood package, MCYS is committed to facilitating the development of 200 new childcare centres by 2013, which will provide 3,000 more infant-care places.
We will prioritise development plans in areas with a higher demand for infant and child care.
Over the last 11/2 years, the number of centres with infant-care services has already grown by a third, from 120 to 160, which provide 1,600 more infant-care places.
To make infant care more affordable for families, since August 2008 the Government has raised the universal subsidy for infant care from $400 to $600 a month for children with working mothers, and from $200 to $300 a month for children with non-working mothers.
Low-income families can also tap ComCare’s Centre-based Financial Assistance for Child Care subsidies, so that mothers can work while their infants attend childcare.
This subsidy is in addition to the universal subsidy for infant care.
The savings from a child’s Children Development Account can also be used to pay for infant care.
Ms Chow also suggested that apart from centre-based care, a network of nannies could also provide childcare services.
MCYS supports a Family Day Care Service, which is a more formalised version of nanny and baby-sitting services.
Several childcare centres help to match trained caregivers with parents who need their services. Parents can find more information on the website listed above.
MCYS will continue to monitor and review its policies so that parents have accessible, affordable and quality care for their children.
DIRECTOR, CHILD CARE DIVISION
MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS
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