Starting Operations at Childcare Centres at New BTO Estates at Earlier Key Collection Stage

15 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry can ensure that childcare centres within new HDB BTO estates can already be operational at a lower scale when residents start collecting their keys to their new homes and reach full operational level within a few months after all residents have collected their keys.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: After collecting their keys, residents typically take some time to renovate and outfit their new Built-To-Order flats before moving in. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) thus works with Anchor Operators (AOP) to ensure that preschools are ready to enroll children when residents move into the estate after their renovations have been completed.

To this end, ECDA facilitates AOPs' early access to technical plans and arranges site visits so that renovation of the preschool can commence as soon as the keys are handed over to the AOPs.

Beyond ensuring that the preschool site is ready, ECDA also supports AOPs by providing funding to recruit manpower in advance, before the preschool commences operations so that preschools can receive children promptly, once opened.

Preschools today start operations at a smaller scale before ramping up towards operating at full capacity.