INFANT CARE CENTRES

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INFANT CARE CENTRES: * * *

8.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) whether there is an increasing number of infant care centres in Singapore; (b) how many are currently located at workplaces; and (c) how many are dedicated infant care centres that cater to infants exclusively without other childcare programmes for toddlers and children.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The number of childcare centres providing infant care services has increased from 38 in 2004 to 115 in June 2008. These centres now provide over 1,600 places for infant care. Of these centres, nine of them are located in workplace premises, offering about 130 infant care places.

More parents are receptive to placing their infants in centre-based care. This is demonstrated in the rising infant care enrolment from 333 (enrolment rate of 55%) in December 2004 to 933 (58%) in June 2008.

Currently, there is no centre providing only infant care services. We have also received feedback from operators that it is not viable to run only infant care services. MCYS thus encourages childcare centres to provide a continuum of care services to cater to children of various age groups below seven years old. Increasingly, childcare providers are ready and willing to include infant care services as part of their childcare programme due to demand by parents.