S’pore to recruit 1,800 more infant care educators; pre-schools’ hiring grant expanded to meet demand

SINGAPORE - By 2030, Singapore will hire 1,800 more infant care educators, to meet the expected rising demand for infant care as services become more affordable for families.

A hiring grant for preschool operators will also be expanded to help them recruit more of such educators, Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming said on Aug 28.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a Teachers’ Day celebration at E-Bridge Pre-School @ Sumang Lane.

From Sept 2026, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will expand the Manpower Hiring Grant (MHG) to provide funding support for eligible local and foreign trainees who enrol in early childhood courses in Singapore. While they study, they are hired by an employer and receive training for the job.

With the expanded grant, training stipends will be extended to infant care certification, including the Assistant Infant Educator and Fundamentals Certificate in Infant Care courses.

Funding support under the MHG will also be extended by three years to Dec 31, 2030.

ECDA’s moves come after a suite of measures to boost support for families was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally on Aug 23.

Fees at government-supported pre-schools are set to drop by more than half by 2030, with monthly prices for full-day childcare cut to $150 per month and infant care to $300.

The network of government-supported pre-school operators will also be expanded, so more families can access these affordable services closer to home.

As infant care becomes more affordable and accessible, demand for infant care places is expected to rise. The infant educator workforce needs to expand to support this demand growth, said ECDA.

It added that such educators require specialised knowledge and skills to support the developmental and caregiving needs of infants.

The agency will also explore overseas partnerships where needed to broaden the pool of suitable candidates.

It also plans to draw manpower from the current pool of pre-school educators. It said over 2,000 educators have qualifications for both infant care and other pre-school roles.

About four per cent of this group are currently infant educators, as at August 2026. The rest are serving children of older ages.

ECDA is exploring additional support to encourage these educators to join infant care, and said more details will be shared later.

To help eligible pre-school operators that wish to join the government-supported partner operator network , ECDA will introduce a new grant. Details of the grant are still being worked through, said the agency, which is engaging the sector to develop a solution to support operators in making this transition.

More details will be announced later in 2026, it said.

There are currently 33 partner operators that run 380 pre-schools, which receive government funding support and offer lower fees to families.

Liyana Mohd Razali, 34, made a mid-career switch from the civil service to becoming an infant care educator in 2025. The mother of four children aged three to eight had wanted to find a new job, as she could not handle shifts at her previous job alongside parenting responsibilities.

She worked at E-Bridge Pre-School @ Sumang Lane - which was near her home - while enrolled in a five-month course for a Higher Certificate in Infant Care. Her course fees were fully paid for by the pre-school operator and government subsidies under the MHG.

The grant eased her financial burdens while transiting to the new role, said Liyana, who had taken two years of no-pay leave to care for her children before she re-entered the workforce.

As an infant care educator, she cares for babies aged two to 18 months old. Her most fulfilling moments include witnessing them take their first step or say their first word, said Liyana.

Christine Tan is a correspondent at The Straits Times reporting on social affairs and issues of justice in Singapore.