Childcare Subsidy Singapore 2026: Infant Care & Childcare Guide

Every Singapore Citizen child at an ECDA-licensed infant care or childcare centre gets a childcare subsidy. In 2026, working mothers (or single fathers) receive a Basic Subsidy of S$600 a month for full-day infant care and S$300 for full-day childcare, whatever the household income. Families earning S$12,000 or less a month can also get a means-tested Additional Subsidy of up to S$710 (infant care) or S$467 (childcare), and from 1 January 2027 that income ceiling rises to S$15,000.

Below, we explain how the infant care subsidy and childcare subsidy are worked out, what you would actually pay at a fee-capped centre, how KiFAS helps with kindergarten fees, what changes in 2027 and beyond, and how to apply on LifeSG. All figures are as at October 2026 and come from ECDA.

How childcare subsidies work in Singapore

ECDA’s Infant and Childcare Subsidy Scheme has two parts, and both are paid directly to the centre, so you simply see a lower monthly bill.

• Basic Subsidy is not means-tested. Every Singapore Citizen child at a licensed centre gets it. The amount depends on whether the main applicant is working.
• Additional Subsidy is means-tested. It goes to families with a gross monthly household income of S$12,000 or less, or a per capita income of S$3,000 or less for larger households, and the lower your income, the more you get.

The “main applicant” is the mother, or the father if he is a single parent. She counts as working if she works at least 56 hours a month, and that includes part-time and freelance work.

Subsidies apply to the programme fee only. Registration fees, deposits, uniforms, insurance and extra classes are paid by you.

Infant care subsidy: 2026 amounts

Infant care is for babies aged 2 to 18 months. The subsidy for full-day infant care has not changed since 1 January 2023. If you are still deciding whether infant care is right for you, our infant care guide covers fees, waiting lists and what to look for in a centre.

For full-day programmes, working families. Half-day infant care has its own, lower table, with a Basic Subsidy of S$300.

Childcare subsidy: 2026 amounts

Childcare programmes run from 18 months until your child starts Primary 1. After that, a separate scheme applies, covered in our student care fees and subsidies guide. The Additional Subsidy amounts below have applied since 1 January 2026, when ECDA lowered the minimum co-payments for most income bands.

The minimum co-payment is the least you will pay each month. If the fee minus your subsidies would fall below it, your Additional Subsidy is reduced so you pay that amount.

If you are not working

Non-working mothers get a Basic Subsidy of S$150 for both infant care and childcare. Since December 2024, families with a household income of S$6,000 or less (or a per capita income of S$1,500 or less) can get the full subsidies whatever the main applicant’s working status. At the National Day Rally 2026, the Government said full infant care and childcare subsidies will be extended to all families with Singapore Citizen children regardless of working status, with details due in early 2027.

What you actually pay: worked examples

Fees at Anchor Operator centres are capped at S$1,235 a month for full-day infant care and S$610 for full-day childcare, before GST. Partner Operator caps are S$1,290 and S$650. Here is roughly what a working family would pay at an Anchor Operator centre charging the capped fee, after 9% GST (S$1,346.15 for infant care, S$664.90 for childcare).

These are estimates for a single child at a capped centre. Private centres set their own fees, so the same subsidy leaves you with a bigger bill. For your exact figure, use the subsidy calculator on ECDA’s website. Our childcare options guide compares centre fees with the cost of a helper or grandparent care.

You can pay the remaining fees from your child’s Child Development Account at approved centres.

KiFAS and kindergarten fees

If your child attends a kindergarten rather than a full-day childcare centre, the childcare subsidy does not apply. Instead, the Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) helps Singapore Citizen children at MOE Kindergartens and Anchor Operator kindergartens.

• It is means-tested, with the same S$12,000 household income ceiling (or S$3,000 per capita) in 2026.
• Families earning S$3,000 or less can get up to S$163 a month, with a minimum co-payment of S$1. The amount tapers as income rises.
• Lower-income families may also get a KiFAS Start-Up Grant of up to S$240 a year towards registration, deposit, uniform and similar costs.

Full-day KCare at MOE Kindergartens has its own Basic Subsidy of S$150 a month plus means-tested Additional Subsidy. See our kindergarten guide for MOE versus Anchor fees and registration.

What changes in 2027 and beyond

Higher income ceiling from January 2027

Announced at Budget 2026, the household income ceiling for Additional Subsidy and KiFAS rises from S$12,000 to S$15,000 from 1 January 2027, and the per capita ceiling from S$3,000 to S$3,400. Income thresholds for all subsidy tiers will also be updated, and the Government expects more than 60,000 more families to benefit. If your household earns between S$12,001 and S$15,000, check your eligibility again in January 2027. ECDA will publish the new tables, so use its calculator rather than the 2026 figures above for 2027 fees.

Fee targets announced at NDR 2026

At the National Day Rally in August 2026, the Government said fees at government-supported preschools will be reduced progressively from 2028 to S$300 a month for full-day infant care and S$150 for full-day childcare by 2030, for every Singaporean child regardless of household income. Lower-income families will continue to get extra help, so they could pay less. Details on timelines and which operators qualify are due in early 2027.

Separately, the SG Child Support Package announced at NDR 2026 replaces the Baby Bonus and Large Families schemes from April 2027. Our SG Child Support Package guide explains what it means for your CDA.

How to apply for childcare subsidies on LifeSG

1. Secure a place first. You cannot apply for subsidies while you are on a waiting list. Register with centres directly, and with more than one if places are tight.
2. Complete enrolment. The centre handles its own forms and deposit.
3. Fill in the LifeSG form. On or after your child’s first day, the centre triggers the subsidy application, and a link is emailed to the main applicant. You and your spouse must complete it within 14 calendar days, or it lapses and you may pay unsubsidised fees until you reapply.
4. Wait for the outcome. LifeSG emails the result, usually within one to four weeks.
5. Report changes. If your income or working status changes, you can update your application, which may raise or lower your subsidy.

The bottom line

• Every Singapore Citizen child at a licensed centre gets a Basic Subsidy: S$600 (infant care) or S$300 (childcare) for working mothers, S$150 otherwise.
• Additional Subsidy of up to S$710 (infant care) or S$467 (childcare) is means-tested, with a S$12,000 ceiling in 2026 rising to S$15,000 from January 2027.
• At a capped Anchor centre, families earning above S$12,000 pay about S$746 for infant care and S$365 for childcare a month in 2026.
• KiFAS covers MOE and Anchor kindergartens instead.
• Fees at government-supported preschools are set to fall to S$300 (infant care) and S$150 (childcare) by 2030.