Singapore (AsiaNews) – Jurong West, Punggol, Sengkang, Woodlands and Yishun have been selected for new mega childcare centres, which can house 300 to 500 children each. The centres will be built on undeveloped state land and are designed to meet demands of young families.
The facilities are expected to be completed by end-2016, said today Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin during a visit to the My First Skool centre at Jurong Point, which will be operated by Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress.
“We have made good progress over the past two years in enhancing the accessibility, affordability and quality of early childhood services. These upcoming centres will further build on our ongoing efforts to better meet the needs of parents,” Minister Tan Chuan-Jin explained.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said that the areas were chosen on basis of applications. The first day care will open in the middle of next year.
Anchor Operators will run the facilities. In addition to the NTUC’s My First Skool, PAP Community Foundation and MY World Preschool will be managed by Metropolitan YMCA. Skool4Kidz will be managed by a consortium led by Kinderland and Eton House International's E-bridge Pre-school.
The five kindergartens are part of larger childcare plan (20,000 child spaces) that the government hopes to implement by 2017.
In addition to these five facilities already approved, others are in the planning stage.
They should be built in under-utilised spaces and include a multi-storey car park, a shopping centre and a sports complex.