The Ultimate Guide to Infant Care in Singapore
The Ultimate Guide to Infant Care in Singapore
When it comes to infant care centres in Singapore, there are a dizzying array of options available. For new parents, the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming and stressful. After all, we only want the best for our little ones, and it is crucial to let them grow and develop in an enriching and safe space.
Lucky for you, we are here to demystify the process by crystallising the key things you should look out for when choosing an infant care centre for your child, as well as offer a comparative look at five established infant care centres in Singapore.
Government Subsidies for Infant Care for Singaporeans
First things first, you need to understand the infant care landscape in Singapore, and that means understanding the various government subsidies available to offset the potentially expensive costs of infant care programmes.
Government subsidies for infant care apply only to Singapore Citizen (SC) children enrolled in an Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)-licensed infant care centre. There is a Basic Subsidy and an Additional Subsidy, and the amount you will receive depends on the parent’s applicant status and programme type enrolled.
Take a look at the comprehensive table by ECDA and if you need additional assistance, there is a Subsidy Calculator available here.
Subsidies Rate Source: ECDA
Factors To Consider When Looking for an Infant Care Programme
There are also several factors to consider when looking for an ideal infant care programme for your child. These factors are:
- Qualifications, Accolades and Track Record
- Centre Environment
- Teachers
- Curriculum
- Meals
Take a look at our previous article that explains these factors in greater detail.
Five Established Infant Care Programmes in Singapore
Mulberry Learning
Mulberry Learning leverages upon Experiential Learning as the main approach for its Infant & Toddler Programme. Source: Mulberry Learning.
Mulberry Learning has an award-winning curriculum that is distinctly unique. It is the first preschool network in the world to be certified by The Institute for Habits of Mind and has won several accolades over the years, including Winner of the Singapore Prestige Brand Award (2020/21), Best Early Learning Program (aged 0 – 6 years old), 2021 and Best Holistic Curriculum, 2019 to 2020.
In particular, its Reggio-inspired learning environment is crafted specially to inspire growth and learning in infants and young children. As part of their belief that children learn best in thoughtfully-curated surroundings, the centre environment has specially-designed learning areas where students can best explore their interests, spark their curiosity, and grow. As a bonus, several centres also feature a special infant spa where your little one will enjoy fun spa sessions and massages, complete with whirlpool jets, bubbles and lights in specially imported spa pods.
Mulberry Learning leverages upon Experiential Learning as the main approach for its Infant & Toddler Programme, and encourages children to be mini-explorers through beautifully crafted learning spaces, playing with quality toys, musical instruments, and textural materials.
The Experiential Learning framework comprises the following 5 Learning Domains:
- Self-Exploration
- Music & Stories
- Muscle Development
- Thematic Discovery
- Multi-Sensory Experience
These developmental outcomes are achieved through their signature programmes such as Little ExplorerTM, Music StimulationTM, Muscle MasterTM, First TouchTM, and Colourful WorldTM.
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Mulberry Learning Infant Care Outlets |
Address |
Contact Number |
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Alexandra |
12 Hoy Fatt Road, #02-01 Bryton House Singapore 159506 |
6653 8082 |
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Alexandra Technopark |
438B Alexandra Road Block B Alexandra Technopark #01-02 Singapore 119968 |
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Braddell |
1 Lor 2 Toa Payoh, #01-02/03/04 Singapore 319637 |
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Bukit Batok |
25 Bukit Batok Street 22, #03-01, Singapore 659591 |
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Cairnhill |
1 Anthony Road #02-06/07 Singapore 229944 |
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Dover |
1010 Dover Road #01-02, #02-14,#02-15 Singapore 139658 |
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Jurong East |
31 International Business Park, Creative Resource, Level 1, Singapore 609921 |
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Kallang |
8 Stadium Walk #02-05 Water Sports Centre Singapore 397699 |
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Punggol |
407 Northshore Drive Northshore Plaza 1, #03-02 Singapore 820407 |
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Shenton Way |
6A Shenton Way #03-01/04 Downtown Gallery Singapore 068815 |
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Woodlands |
21 Woodlands Close #01-01/02/17 Primz BizHub Singapore 737854 |
Maple Bear
Maple Bear is inspired by the quality Canadian education system. Source: Maple Bear Singapore
Inspired by the Canadian education system, Maple Bear is a leader in bilingual education through its bilingual immersion learning programme. They also offer Bear Care – their infant care programme for infants from two months of age.
Bear Care acknowledges that infants are capable and active learners that do not need to be ‘taught’; instead, they are respected as competent learners who are allowed and encouraged to explore and play in a variety of ways that best fits their emerging abilities, interests, and skills.
The infant programme consists of consistent and predictable routines to cultivate an ‘unhurried’ atmosphere. The learning environment is safe, secure, and allows for exploration and further discovery, whilst also being equipped with developmentally appropriate toys and furnishings that will accommodate all infants.
There are 14 Maple Bear outlets that offer infant care:
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Maple Bear Infant Care Outlets |
Address | Contact Number |
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Alexandra (Alexis) |
354 Alexandra Road #01-21 Alexis Singapore 159948 |
8858 0777 |
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Bukit Timah (Horsecity) |
100 Turf Club Road #01-02 Blocks D/E/F Horsecity Singapore 287992 |
6463 5733 |
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Harper Junior |
73 Upp Paya Lebar Rd Centro Bianco #02-01 Singapore 534818 |
9357 2823 |
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Havelock (Annex @ Furama) |
407 Havelock Road #04-01 annex@furama Singapore 169634 |
6737 8898 |
| Highgate |
2 Highgate Walk Singapore 598754 |
9777 4866 / 6467 2714 |
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Lavender |
2 Kallang Avenue #04-16, CT Hub Singapore 339407 |
6493 7168 / 9029 8981 |
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Moulmein |
207 Balestier Road #02-02/#03-01 Singapore 329683 |
8686 3873 |
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Orchard (Claymore Connect) |
442 Orchard Road #02-05 Claymore Connect Singapore 238879 (Located next to Orchard Hotel) |
8569 9560 |
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St. Michael |
1 Jalan Taman
#01-01 St Michael’s Place Singapore 329022 |
8163 9818 |
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Toa Payoh |
978 Toa Payoh North, #01-01 Singapore 319001 |
8797 8978 |
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Bedok (Panasonic Building) |
202 Bedok South Ave 1 #03-12 Singapore 469332 |
9777 4866 / 9424 4188 |
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SIA Group Sports Club |
726 Upper Changi Road East Singapore 486046 |
6214 8170 / 9661 6735 |
| Bukit Batok |
15 Bukit Batok St 22 #02-01, Propell Building Singapore 659586 |
6901 0272 |
| Jubilee |
31 Jubilee Road Singapore 128583 |
9777 4866 |
MindChamps
MindChamps’ play area is filled with age-appropriate toys. Source: MindChamps Singapore
For infants and young toddlers, MindChamps adopts the S.M.I.L.E.S methodology, which believes that the brain, especially in the formative stages, needs all aspects of the mind to be stimulated simultaneously. Therefore, all activities designed for their students have the potential to provide experiences that engage all the S.M.I.L.E.S. elements. This includes: Sensory, Motor (Music and Movement), Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional and Social.
Their specialised infant care programme is offered at the MindChamps PreSchool centre at Biopolis, and the day-to-day care for infants and toddlers typically takes place in a separate area away from the older children. The environment includes dedicated areas such as: sleeping area, activity area, bath area, and food preparation area.
Address: 3 Biopolis Drive, Synapse #01-11, Singapore 138623
Contact Number: 6684 5568 or 9831 4567
Email: [email protected]
My First Skool
My First Skool adopts a facilitated play approach to aid learning and development. Source: My First Skool Singapore.
My First Skool is the pre-school arm of NTUC (National Trades Union Congress) First Campus Co-operative. They aim to empower their students to learn through PETAL© – Playing, Exploring, Thinking, and Applying Learning. This approach provides facilitated play experiences that aid learning and development. The activities planned at My First Skool also cover five learning areas which provide holistic development. This includes:
- Language and Literacy
- Numeracy
- Discovery of the World
- Motor Skills Development
- Aesthetics and Creative Expression
At My First Skool, they expend significant effort to curating the perfect learning environment. They have a special team to design the pre-school based on eight principles, such as safety and health, age appropriateness, privacy and social space, and student competence and autonomy.
My First Skool has numerous outlets across the island. They can be reached at 6509 7887 or [email protected].
Pat’s Schoolhouse
Pat’s Schoolhouse boasts a unique inquiry-embedded play-based learning curriculum. Source: Pat’s Schoolhouse.
Established for over 30 years, Pat’s Schoolhouse aims to train its students to become challengers of the future. They are also the pioneer of the Bilingual Immersion Core Curriculum since 1988, and in the classroom, both the English and Mandarin teachers are co-partners, co-owning the holistic development of children under their care.
Their approach is unique as well, as it revolves around planning intentional, meaningful and thought-provoking inquiry-embedded play-based learning experiences to support children’s holistic development. As part of this, they even have an enhanced music-integrated curriculum, where children are exposed to music by the in-house music specialists.
There are two outlets that offer infant care programmes at Pat’s Schoolhouse:
Pat’s Schoolhouse Infant Care Outlets | Address | Contact Number |
Grassroots | 190 Ang Mo Kio, Ave 8, #01-04 The Grassroots’ Club, Singapore 568046 | 6781 2288 |
Prinsep | 30 Prinsep Street, Income@Prinsep, #04-01 and #05-01, Singapore 188647 |
With the burgeoning number of infant care centres in Singapore, it is still necessary and recommended to do your due diligence and conduct research as to the merits of each centre. After all, we only want the best for our children! If you are looking for an award-winning and established centre equipped with a wide selection of unique infant care facilities and programmes, look no further than Mulberry Learning. Contact us today!
Families in the North, rejoice! T-Play Khatib is a fun-tastic indoor playground located at HomeTeamNS Khatib. This site is especially unique as it is heavily inspired by Southeast Asia’s Peranakan culture, making for an interesting change of scenery for your little one! This facility features unique and exciting play areas, such as a sports pitch, foam ball shooting arena, and a ninja course for your child to unleash their little ninja!
Every parent understands how it feels to have their child do something seemingly “out of character” and wonder…where did he/she pick it up from? Or when you are doing household chores or preparing to go to work, and they picked that exact time on purpose to break something. It can be increasingly frustrating, and it would be easy for you to snap at them. This is how not to set an example.
Mulberry Learning prides itself on making the preschool experience both memorable and enjoyable while transforming a child into a competent explorer, an imaginative thinker, and a creative problem solver. Through our proprietary award-winning curriculum, unique Habits of Mind programme and dedicated staff who are passionate about imparting positive attitudes, Mulberry Learning holds strong in its promise to deliver a holistic education that nurtures the Future Ready Child.
A PREMIUM PRESCHOOL BRAND UNDER GLOBAL EDUHUB