More pre-school choices, higher expectations: What do parents want from childcare now?

AI generated

SINGAPORE – Gone are the days when pre-schools were seen mainly as places that looked after children while parents worked.

Today, parents ask a wider set of questions when choosing a childcare centre: Is the ratio of teachers to students ideal? Will my child’s well-being and development be supported? What is the centre’s learning approach, and will it sufficiently prepare my child for Primary 1?

This marks a shift from a decade ago, when many parents had more practical considerations, like whether a centre had vacancies, how close it was to home and whether they could afford the fees.

With more government-supported pre-school places and more affordable options, operators and experts say that parents are looking beyond basic access and cost.

When deciding on a pre-school for her daughter, homemaker Iona Shi, 39, looked for whether teachers had soft skills, like being able to create a safe and caring space for children, alongside “hard skills” like supporting academic learning.

What mattered most to her was her daughter’s socio-emotional development.

“Location mattered but not as much as other criteria. If the centre is still within the same town, it should be okay for me. I feel that things like caring and dedicated teachers, a smaller teacher-student ratio, a pedagogy that is high-engagement and fun, and low teacher turnover were more important to me,” she said.

She enrolled her daughter in Posso Preschool in Tampines in 2024, with the school’s bilingual learning approach sealing the deal.

“I wanted my daughter to be in a learning environment that offers more immersion in her mother tongue (Mandarin).”

Chief executive of NTUC First Campus Justin Ang told Insight that the pre-school sector has undergone a fundamental shift, from being seen mainly as a child-minding service that allows parents to work, to one that plays an important role in children’s learning, development and well-being.

Anglican Preschool Services’ (APS) director for finance, governance and business development Jonathan Goh said parents are now much more informed and discerning in evaluating pre-school options.

Goh said APS has seen growing interest in how pre-schools help children develop confidence, resilience, social skills and a love for learning.

“Many parents still ask about school readiness, but increasingly they recognise that success in primary school and beyond depends on much more than academic preparation alone.”

“Children need strong relationships, emotional security, self-regulation skills and opportunities to develop their identity and sense of belonging,” he added.

General manager at Kinderland International Education Seet Lee Kiang said families are also increasingly looking for qualified educators and programmes that support children’s holistic development.

“They are also placing greater emphasis on educator quality, child safety, children’s emotional well-being and open, transparent communication with pre-schools.”

This shift is more evident among younger parents.

Director of business development for Posso Preschool Jaime Tan said millennial and Gen Z parents research curricula, teacher qualifications, and classroom ratios online before stepping into a centre.

Tan said that play-based learning, bilingualism, socio-emotional development, and school-readiness have become common conversation topics among parents.

Being more discerning does not necessarily mean parents are only looking at expensive options.

Many find that government-supported operators can offer the specific quality, pedagogy, and care they seek at subsidised rates.

E-Bridge Pre-School, an anchor operator managing 31 centres that serve about 7,500 children, utilises a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach where the physical environment is designed as a “third teacher”.

Its chief executive Lim Tien Hock said that because parents today are more knowledgeable about educational approaches, families specifically seek out E-Bridge for its pedagogy, leaving many of its centres well-subscribed.

One such parent is 31-year-old Lydia Tan, who wanted a centre where her child would feel comfortable expressing herself and learning at her own pace. Cost was also a factor, and anchor operator fees made the option more affordable for them.

She visited a few pre-schools before enrolling her daughter at an E-Bridge centre in Telok Blangah in January 2025, despite there being centres closer to their home.

“Seeing how happy she is makes the travelling worthwhile for us,” the museum professional said.

Tan said she felt E-Bridge’s approach put children’s voices, interests and ideas at the centre of learning, rather than follow a standard curriculum.

“We also appreciate the emphasis on using nature and loose-parts materials in the children’s learning experiences. We feel that these provide a meaningful and engaging way for children to explore and understand the world around them,” she said.

Government-supported operators have also strengthened support for children with developmental needs, as parents become more aware of these needs.

NTUC First Campus’ Ang said the operator set up its Child Support Model in 2016, bringing together a team including learning support educators and therapists to provide coordinated support across financial assistance, social support, learning development, and health.

The pre-school operator also uses digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to help educators with lesson planning, documentation, and analysis of learning progress.

What role do independent centres play?

For smaller or standalone pre-schools, the expansion of government-supported operators has altered the competitive landscape.

Posso Preschool’s Tan noted that a decade ago, independent and boutique operators competed mainly with each other and a handful of established chains. Today, anchor and partner operators, as well as MOE kindergartens, make up a large share of the sector.

As a result, independent pre-schools have had to differentiate themselves through the quality of their programmes and the experience they offer parents, rather than price, he added.

Tan said while the term “premium pre-school” was once shorthand for nicer facilities and smaller classes, parents today seek specific pedagogical approaches, bilingual or trilingual immersion, enrichment integration and individualised attention.

Posso keeps enrolment at each centre to between 80 and 120 children and maintains low student-to-teacher ratios to preserve a close-knit community. The operator has five centres across Singapore.

Adventure Tree Preschool, which has four outlets, has similarly positioned itself as an alternative to larger centres. It caps enrolment at 75 children per centre and maintains lower teacher-child ratios than official Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) requirements. Director of Adventure Tree Morgane Tomassone said that demand for its small, personalised care model remains strong.

“We’ve deliberately chosen not to become a mega centre, as this goes against our values and the offering we want to provide,” she said.

A mix of local and expatriate families has also helped keep enrolment stable despite falling local birth rates, she added.

Values-based and faith-based pre-schools have also seen changes in what motivates parents.

APS’ Goh said that while families historically chose church-affiliated pre-schools due to their faith background, parents today take a holistic view, looking for character formation, empathy, and resilience alongside strong educational outcomes.

“Values alone are no longer sufficient as a differentiator. Families expect both quality and character formation, both competence and care,” Goh said.

Christine Chen, founder president of the Association for Child Care Educators, stressed that having a range of service providers is essential.

“One large operator cannot serve all children,” Chen said, adding that children and families have diverse needs, making varied operating models and educational philosophies necessary.

Cheong Su Fen, founder of pre-school consultancy social enterprise Preschool Market, noted that the future sustainability of pre-schools will depend on having a clear identity, strong community engagement, and distinctive educational value.

ECDA chief executive Ku Geok Boon said the agency’s priority is to maintain a diverse, sustainable, and high-quality pre-school sector that offers families affordable and accessible options across different operator sizes.

On the role of private operators, Ku said she sees success in the sector as one where anchor and partner operators, MOE kindergartens, and non-government supported centres work well in an ecosystem.

“Ultimately, we are here to serve families and children. Some of the non-government supported centres have niche offerings that parents may want to choose. We want that diversity and to give parents choice.”

Posso’s Tan added: “We do not believe every pre-school should look the same or offer exactly the same experience. A strong pre-school ecosystem should provide families with meaningful choices.”