ECDA Childminding Pilot: Costs, Schedule and Contract

An attractive subsidised rate is only one number in an infant care decision. Here is how to assess eligibility, weekday fit, billable days and the longer commitment before enrolling.

Choosing care for a baby often begins with a number. A subsidised daily rate can make a service look manageable at a glance, especially when a family is balancing work, travel and the practical demands of caring for an infant.

For EduNanny’s ECDA Childminding Pilot, the stated rates are S$16.50 per day for five hours of care and S$33 per day for ten hours of care, before GST. Those figures are important, but they are only one part of the decision. A family also needs to know whether the infant qualifies, whether the agreed care block fits the weekly schedule and what the enrolment agreement requires after care begins. EduNanny’s pilot information sets out these details.

The most useful starting point is therefore not simply the lowest daily price. It is how well the service fits your family’s schedule, which days are billable, your payment method and your plan for care over the longer term.

Start with eligibility, not the daily rate

The official announcement from the Ministry of Social and Family Development identifies Singapore Citizen infants aged two to 18 months as eligible for the childminding pilot and says that parents may contact appointed operators directly. The official announcement gives families the starting point for checking the programme.

A further condition applies to EduNanny’s service. The infant must not be concurrently enrolled in an ECDA licensed infant care centre. The pilot is described as an additional infant care option, with subsidised plans intended for eligible families. EduNanny states that the pilot runs from 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2027, and places are subject to availability.

Before comparing care hours, check the infant’s age, citizenship and current enrolment status. A low rate does not remove the need to establish that the service is available for your particular infant and family.

Build the real weekly and monthly picture

AI illustration of a parent checking eligibility with a childminder beside a blank checklist and calendar

EduNanny’s pilot care is available from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, between 7am and 7pm. Families choose one agreed block of five or ten hours. The wording matters: the care arrangement is built around an agreed block, rather than a general promise of availability throughout the day. The parent FAQ gives the same weekday hours and plan options.

Here is a useful way to assess the fit at home. Write down your actual working days, your baby’s arrival and collection times, and the travel time on either side of the care block. Then mark public holidays and any other days when care may not be needed. A block of ten hours may suit a full day away, while a block of five hours may work better when you need a shorter, more defined period of care.

Plan	Daily rate before GST	Example for twenty days, including 9% GST
Five hours of care	S$16.50	S$359.70
Ten hours of care	S$33	S$719.40

These examples cover twenty billable weekdays and are not fixed monthly bills. The actual total depends on the plan and the number of billable days in that month. Use EduNanny’s stated monthly examples as a starting point for calculation, not as a promise of the same charge every month.

CDA funds may be used for service fees that are eligible, subject to your child’s available CDA balance and eligibility. EduNanny explains that CDA payments are subject to these conditions, so check what is available in your child’s account before assuming that another payment source will cover the full amount.

Read the commitment before the first day

AI illustration of a parent reviewing a blank care agreement with a childminder, calendar and calculator

The daily rate is easier to understand when placed beside the enrolment terms. EduNanny’s pilot information states that a S$1,000 security deposit is required and that the contract runs until the child turns 18 months old. The pilot page sets out these conditions. EduNanny’s FAQ describes the deposit as refundable and says it is returned when the child graduates at 18 months old. Review the full payment, trial and withdrawal policies before enrolment.

Early withdrawal can incur S$200 for each remaining contract month. The FAQ explains that notice affects how the deposit is treated. It also describes different consequences for withdrawal with one month’s notice and withdrawal without notice. In the latter situation, the stated policy says that the deposit will be forfeited and the full cancellation fee must be paid. Read the withdrawal policy in the FAQ alongside the current agreement. The daily rate does not tell you how these terms work.

This does not mean that every family should expect to withdraw. It means that a longer commitment deserves a calm review before signing. Ask what the contract requires, how notice should be given, how billable days are calculated and which terms would apply if your family’s work or care arrangements change.

Use the visit and any trial to test the practical fit

Once the numbers and eligibility make sense, the next step is to consider how the proposed arrangement could work for your child. EduNanny encourages parents to meet the childminder and visit the setting. It also states that a trial of five days can be arranged after the visit under the pilot terms, subject to availability and confirmation of the full agreement. The pilot information explains the visit and trial process.

Use that time to ask specific questions. You could ask how the childminder would get to know your baby’s feeding, rest and comfort routines, how the proposed block of five or ten hours is agreed, and what updates you can expect while you are at work. If a trial is available, use the handover to understand the practical routine rather than treating it as a guarantee of compatibility or later outcomes. EduNanny’s FAQ notes that an enquiry does not itself confirm a booking, so availability and the care arrangement must still be confirmed.

Before enrolment, set the daily rate, actual billable days, deposit, contract end date and withdrawal terms side by side. If you can explain the numbers and care plan clearly to everyone involved at home, you will have a more useful basis for deciding whether the pilot fits your family. The right service is the one whose everyday arrangement you can see clearly, not simply the one with the most attractive headline figure.