Preschool fees will be cut sharply under measures announced at the National Day Rally on 23 August 2026. Full-day childcare at government-supported preschools will fall to S$150 a month and infant care to $300, before means-testing, according to Made For Families. That is less than half of today’s fees.
The cuts will not happen at once. They roll out progressively from 2028 and reach the target levels by 2030, with implementation timelines due in early 2027.
Updated 13 November 2026 with ECDA’s subsidy thresholds for 2027.
The Preschool Fees Reduction in Brief
From Made For Families, the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s site:
- Lower fees at government-supported preschools: $150 a month for full-day childcare and $300 for full-day infant care, before means-testing, for Singapore Citizen children.
- Timing: progressive reductions from 2028, target levels by 2030; timelines in early 2027.
- Full subsidies regardless of work status: full childcare and infant care subsidies will extend to families with Singapore Citizen children whatever the main applicant’s working status. Details in early 2027.
- More places: the network of government-supported operators will expand, with help for eligible operators to join, and the infant educator workforce will grow.
The short version: Big fee cuts are coming, but from 2028 and in steps to 2030. For now, today’s subsidies apply, and income limits for higher subsidies rise from 1 January 2027.
What Changes Sooner: January 2027
Before the fee cuts, ECDA raises two income limits from 1 January 2027:
| Limit | Now | From 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Household income for Additional Subsidy | $12,000 | $15,000 |
| Per capita income for Additional Subsidy (households of 5 or more) | $3,000 | $3,400 |
| Household income for full childcare subsidies regardless of working status | $6,000 | $7,500 |
| Per capita income for the same | $1,500 | $1,700 |
Families just above today’s limits may qualify for more help from January. Our guide to childcare subsidies explains the current amounts.
What It Could Mean for a Family Budget
Illustration only, using our own numbers and the announced targets. A family with a toddler in full-day childcare at a centre charging $800 a month, receiving only the $300 Basic Subsidy, pays $500 today.
At a government-supported centre charging the $150 target fee once it is fully in place, that family would pay no more than $150 before means-testing, and possibly less after subsidies. Over a year, the difference is up to $4,200. How the subsidies will interact with the new fees is not yet published.
For infant care, the gap is wider. A $1,400 infant care fee less the $600 Basic Subsidy leaves $800 a month; the $300 target fee would save up to $500 a month. Our guide to the cost of having a baby uses the same figures.
Why the Government Is Doing This
The fee cuts are among the first recommendations of the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup accepted by the government, according to Made For Families. It says the measures respond to concerns parents raised, including the need for more affordable preschool and help with child-raising costs. The workgroup will publish a fuller set of recommendations in early 2027, so more changes may follow.
For families, the practical point is that the biggest savings arrive in stages. A child born in 2026 will be in preschool for some of the transition years, so the fee you pay may fall while your child is enrolled, depending on the centre and the timetable to be announced.
What Parents Can Do Now
- Do not plan on 2030 prices for a child starting preschool in 2027. Budget with today’s fees and subsidies.
- Use the CDA. Childcare centres and kindergartens are Approved Institutions, so net fees can be paid from the Child Development Account, according to LifeSG. Our CDA guide explains co-matching.
- Recheck your subsidy in January 2027 if your household income is between $12,000 and $15,000.
- Watch for the early-2027 details on which centres join the expanded network and the year-by-year fee path.
Other measures announced at the same rally include more childcare leave and the new SG Child Support Package; see our stories on childcare leave and the SG Child Support Package.
