By The Big Buy desk · Last verified 29 September 2026
From 1 January 2026, full-day childcare at Singapore’s five Anchor Operator preschools is capped at S$610 a month, and at Partner Operator preschools at S$650, before GST and subsidies, for Singapore citizen children. Every citizen child in a licensed centre gets a Basic Subsidy, S$300 a month for childcare if the mother works, which brings a capped centre to around S$300 a month. Lower- and middle-income families get Additional Subsidies on top. Private preschools set their own fees, which can run to S$1,000 to S$1,800 a month or more.
Quick facts
- Anchor Operator cap: S$610 a month, full-day childcare, before GST.
- Partner Operator cap: S$650 a month, before GST.
- Both caps were cut by S$30 from 2025, the second cut in a row.
- Basic Subsidy, working mother: S$300 for childcare, S$600 for infant care.
- Basic Subsidy, mother not working: S$150.
- Additional Subsidies are means-tested, on top.
What are the fee caps?
| Full-day childcare, monthly, before GST | Before 2025 | 2025 | From 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor Operators | S$680 | S$640 | S$610 |
| Partner Operators | S$720 | S$680 | S$650 |
| Other operators | No cap | No cap | No cap |
The five Anchor Operators are PCF Sparkletots, My First Skool, M.Y World, Skool4Kidz and E-Bridge. The Partner Operator scheme for 2026 to 2030 covers 380 centres. Registration fees and GST are extra.
How do the subsidies work?
The Basic Subsidy depends on the main applicant’s employment, usually the mother’s: S$300 a month for childcare and S$600 for infant care if she works, or S$150 if she doesn’t. It’s paid straight to the centre, and you pay the rest. Additional Subsidies, based on household income, reduce the fee further for lower- and middle-income families; ECDA’s online calculator shows what you’d get.
What does that leave you paying?
At an Anchor Operator charging the S$610 cap, a working mother’s S$300 Basic Subsidy leaves about S$310 before GST, and less with Additional Subsidies. The government says that, before means-tested subsidies, full-day childcare at these centres now costs about the same as primary school fees and after-school care combined.
The WahLiao Verdict
Register early for an Anchor or Partner Operator centre near home or work; the caps make them the cheapest full-day option by far. If you choose a private preschool, compare its fee after subsidies with a capped centre’s, since the gap is often several hundred dollars a month.
Questions people ask
Do the caps apply to PR children?
The caps apply to Singapore citizen children; fees for PRs and foreigners are higher.
Can I use the Baby Bonus CDA?
Yes. Child Development Account savings can pay approved childcare fees. The Ledger’s family support guide explains the CDA.
Is infant care capped too?
Yes, at Anchor and Partner Operators, at higher caps than childcare. Check ECDA’s current figures.
Why is the mother the main applicant?
ECDA treats the mother as the main applicant by default; a single father applies where the mother isn’t in the picture.
Sources: MSF, subsidies to keep preschools affordable; Dollars and Sense on operator fees in 2026 and how subsidies have changed; Income on Basic Subsidy amounts; Mulberry Learning on the 2026 Partner Operator scheme.
Read next: Child LifeSG Credits, Baby Bonus and the SG Child Support Package · Back to The Big Buy
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