Teacher Samantha Lim went around searching for a day nursery for her baby three months before the girl was born.
She heard from friends that a vacancy at these infant day-care centres, which take in babies from two to 18 months, was hard to come by.
She was glad she heeded their advice as the hunt, which began in April last year, lasted seven months.
Mrs Lim, 27, and her husband made inquiries at 10 centres in Punggol near the school where she was teaching.
The couple's name was among the first five on the waiting lists at three centres.
Even then, Mrs Lim was told by the schools that a space would likely be freed up only in March this year.
She gave birth in July last year. In November, she got a call from PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Punggol East Sparkletots Infant & Child Care Centre telling her that a place was available.
'We would like to have more children, but we also hope that the search for a place in infant schools will get easier,' said her husband, teacher Kelvin Lim, 28.
His parents and in-laws could not care for the baby as they are working.
The lack of vacancies at infant day-care centres was raised by a my paper forum letter writer as one of the reasons Singaporeans are not having more babies.
For working parents without the help of maids or in-laws, these infant day-care centres provide the only relief.
The writer, Ms Chow Lai May, was reacting to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's call for more Tiger babies in his Chinese New Year speech.
He cited the downward trend seen in each of the last Tiger years - 1998, 1986 and 1974 - when the number of births dipped by 7 per cent.
Ms Chow lamented that 'while there are more infant care centres now, many have no vacancies, especially those located in newer housing estates, as there is a quota of 10 infants for each centre'.
The Sunday Times contacted 30 infant day-care centres and found that many - especially those in large housing estates like Sengkang, Punggol and Bedok - are full and have long waiting lists.
The fees for full-day care - 7am to 7pm - range from $1,000 to $1,500 a month.
One such centre, My First Skool at Compassvale Link in Punggol, said it has more than 100 babies on its waiting list. A staff member said it gets an average of five inquiries a day about vacancies.
Another Punggol infant care centre, Happy Camper, said it will have one opening only from June this year as one of the 10 infants attending the school will be turning 18 months old.
Children 18 months or older can no longer attend infant schools and have to move to childcare centres, which are dedicated to children aged 18 months to six years and 11 months, as required by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
Currently, 160 out of the 800 childcare centres in Singapore provide infant care services. The infant schools provide places for a total of 2,200 children. This is an increase of 600 from the 1,600 openings in August 2008.
Still, some housing estates face a shortage. Even the larger schools that can take in 25 babies are full.
One of them is PCF Fengshan Sparkletots Infant & Child Care Centre in Bedok North Road. A teacher said that it has more than 10 infants on its waiting list.
No wonder parents are looking to enrol their yet-to-be-born babies.
Said business development manager Silvia Wang, 32: 'I reserved a place at a baby school when I was four months pregnant. That is how competitive this is.'
When she found out there was a vacancy in Little Skool House in Chulia Street near her place of work, 'I immediately placed a $1,500 deposit'.
She hopes that the Government can provide a greater childcare subsidy and look into building more infant day-care centres.
Her son's nursery will be raising its fees from $1,500 to $1,700 in May this year.
Taking away the $600 government subsidy for full-time working mothers, she will be paying $1,100 from May - $200 more than what she is paying today.
Recognising the higher demand for infant care services in selected areas in Singapore, an MCYS spokesman said plans are already under way to build 200 new childcare centres by the end of 2012.
They will be run by private operators, including NTUC First Campus - My First Skool as well as The Little Skool-House International - and the PCF.
This is projected to provide 3,000 more places for infant care.
'The ministry will prioritise building centres in areas with higher demand for childcare services,' he added.
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This article was first published in The Sunday Times,The Straits Times .
