At the National Day Rally on Sunday, 23 August 2026, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that childcare and infant care fees at government-supported preschools will be cut to less than half of today's levels. By 2030, full-day childcare will cost just S$150 a month and full-day infant care S$300 a month — for every Singaporean child, regardless of household income.
It is one of the biggest shifts in family policy in years: the Government will absorb a much larger share of preschool costs, and — for the first time — extend full subsidies to families whether or not the mother is working. Here is exactly what is changing, how much your family stands to save, and when.
I believe this is one of the best investments we can make — because every child in Singapore, regardless of their family's circumstances, deserves a good start in life.
PM Lawrence Wong, National Day Rally 2026
On this page
The new fees at a glance
Full-day childcare
Today, before subsidies
S$665
By 2030
S$150
Full-day infant care
Today, before subsidies
S$1,346
By 2030
S$300
Figures are the fees before means-testing. Lower-income families will pay even less.
The full fee table: today vs 2030
This is the complete breakdown for government-supported preschools, comparing what families pay today (before and after the basic subsidy) against the 2030 target fees.
| Fee (S$/month) | Before subsidies | After basic subsidy (working) | After basic subsidy (non-working) | NEW · by 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChildcareAnchor Operator | S$665 | S$365 | S$515 | S$150 |
| Partner Operator | S$709 | S$409 | S$559 | S$150 |
| Infant careAnchor Operator | S$1,346 | S$746 | S$1,196 | S$300 |
| Partner Operator | S$1,406 | S$806 | S$1,256 | S$300 |
Source: MSF figures presented at the National Day Rally 2026, via Channel NewsAsia.
How much your family will save
The exact saving depends on your care type, operator and working status. Using Anchor Operator fees as a guide:
From about S$365 today to S$150 — around S$215 less a month (≈ S$2,580 a year).
From about S$746 today to S$300 — around S$446 less a month (≈ S$5,352 a year).
From about S$515 today to S$150 — around S$365 less a month (≈ S$4,380 a year).
From about S$1,196 today to S$300 — around S$896 less a month (≈ S$10,752 a year).
Want your own number? Try our Childcare & Infant Care Subsidy Calculator to estimate today's fee after subsidies.
Full subsidies — no matter if the mother works
This is the quieter change that will matter enormously to stay-at-home parents and single-income families. The mother is treated as the main applicant for preschool subsidies (a single father is the main applicant in cases of divorce, separation or widowhood).
Full subsidies are only available when the main applicant is working. A non-working applicant gets just the S$150 basic subsidy — for both childcare and infant care — so their fees stay high.
Full childcare and infant care subsidies will be extended to families regardless of the mother's working status — mirroring how primary education is affordable for every household.
Today's basic subsidies (for reference)
- Non-working main applicant: S$150/month (childcare and infant care).
- Working main applicant: S$300/month (childcare) or S$600/month (infant care).
- Plus a means-tested additional subsidy of up to S$467 (childcare) or S$710 (infant care) for lower- and middle-income families.
When it happens
Announced at the National Day Rally
PM Lawrence Wong unveils the fee cuts — among the first recommendations of the Marriage & Parenthood Reset Workgroup (chaired by Minister Indranee Rajah) to be accepted.
Timeline details released
MSF and NPTD will share the detailed roll-out schedule, alongside the Workgroup's fuller set of recommendations.
Fees start falling progressively
As the network of government-supported preschools expands, fees come down step by step — a phased approach to keep quality high and the sector sustainable.
Targets reached: S$150 & S$300
Full-day childcare hits S$150/month and infant care S$300/month for every Singaporean child, before means-testing.
Why the wait? Government-supported centres already have places for about 80% of preschoolers. The Government wants the low fees available everywhere first, so it must expand the network — with more help for eligible operators who join and meet the standards — before bringing fees all the way down.
Who and where this applies
The S$150 and S$300 fees apply at government-supported preschools — those under the Anchor Operator and Partner Operator schemes. They cover every Singaporean child regardless of household income, and they are the fees before means-testing. If your child is in infant care, the target is S$300; for full-day childcare it is S$150.
And it doesn't stop at preschool
PM Wong also signalled more support for the primary-school years. With demand for student care rising — every primary school now offers it — the Government plans to expand capacity, improve quality, and keep fees affordable, and to work with selected centres outside schools to give parents more options. Registered student care centres can already administer means-tested fee assistance.
Quality, affordable preschool should be within every family's budget, and easily accessible in every neighbourhood.
What parents can do now
Estimate your fee today
Work out your current childcare or infant care fee after subsidies while you wait for the 2030 cuts.
Open the calculatorFind affordable preschools
Browse the most affordable government-supported centres near you, sorted by monthly fee.
Browse affordable centresCheck vacancies
See which preschools have places now — useful as the government-supported network expands.
View vacanciesCompare all preschools
Search and compare preschools across Singapore by scheme, fees, languages and location.
Explore preschoolsPreschool is about to become one of the cheapest years of parenting.
A quick recap of what's confirmed, and what to watch for.
From up to S$1,346 a month to S$300. From S$665 to S$150. For every Singaporean child. For every Singaporean child.
Full-day childcare falls to S$150 and infant care to S$300 a month by 2030, and full subsidies will apply regardless of the mother's working status.
The detailed roll-out timeline lands in early 2027, with fees falling progressively from 2028 as the government-supported network grows.
Frequently asked questions
How much will preschool fees cost in Singapore by 2030?+
At government-supported preschools, full-day childcare will fall to S$150 a month and full-day infant care to S$300 a month by 2030. These are the fees before means-testing — lower-income families will pay even less — and they apply to every Singaporean child regardless of household income.
When do the lower preschool fees start?+
The fee reductions will be rolled out progressively from 2028, reaching the S$150 and S$300 targets by 2030. The Government will release more details on the timeline in early 2027, alongside the fuller set of recommendations from the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup.
Do I need to be working to get the full subsidies?+
No. The Government will extend full childcare and infant care subsidies to families regardless of the mother's (main applicant's) working status. Today, full subsidies are only available when the main applicant is working, and non-working applicants receive just a S$150 basic subsidy.
Which preschools do the lower fees apply to?+
The S$150 and S$300 fees apply at government-supported preschools — those run by Anchor Operators (AOP) and Partner Operators (POP). These centres have enough places for about 80% of preschoolers today, and the Government will expand the network before bringing fees down further.
How much will my family actually save?+
A working family at an Anchor Operator childcare centre pays about S$365 today; at S$150 that is roughly S$215 less a month (about S$2,580 a year). For full-day infant care, a working family paying about S$746 would save around S$446 a month — close to S$5,352 a year. Non-working families and those at Partner Operators save even more.
What is the difference between an Anchor Operator and a Partner Operator?+
Anchor Operators (AOP) and Partner Operators (POP) are the two schemes MOE/ECDA use to fund government-supported preschools in exchange for fee caps and quality standards. AOP fees are slightly lower than POP fees today, but both will land at the same S$150 (childcare) and S$300 (infant care) targets by 2030.
Sources
- 1.National Day Rally 2026 — preschool fee and subsidy announcement (23 Aug 2026). channelnewsasia.com
- 2.Ministry of Social and Family Development — childcare & infant care subsidies. msf.gov.sg
- 3.Prime Minister's Office — National Day Rally 2026. pmo.gov.sg
Fee figures are the amounts before means-testing announced at the National Day Rally 2026. The Government will publish the detailed roll-out timeline in early 2027.
Related reading
Childcare & Infant Care Subsidy Calculator
Estimate your monthly fee after basic and additional subsidies today.
Try the calculatorMost Affordable Preschools in Singapore
The government-supported centres with the lowest monthly fees, ranked.
See the list$500 Child LifeSG Credits (Budget 2026)
Another family-support measure — who gets it and how to claim.
Read the updateBrowse All Preschools
Search, filter and compare preschools across Singapore.
Explore now