Data on Preschool Centre Closures without Six-months' Notice over Past Three Years and Enforcement Actions Taken against Operators

57 Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the number of pre-school centres closing without giving the sufficient six months' closure notice has been increasing annually over the past three years; and (b) how many of such preschool operators were subject to (i) warning letters, (ii) financial penalties and (iii) barring of future preschool licences, respectively.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act, Regulations and Code of Practice, licensees are required to provide at least six months' notice prior to cessation to parents and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). There has been an increase in the number of preschools that have failed to give at least six months' notice before cessation, from 26 preschools in 2023 to 44 preschools in 2025.

ECDA takes such regulatory breaches seriously and errant operators may face regulatory actions. ECDA will consider various factors, including the specific facts of each case and principles of proportionality and deterrence, before meting out the necessary regulatory action or combination of actions.