A perennial question parents have – Is this a good preschool for my child? While factors like location, fees, teaching philosophy, and SPARK certification often top the list of considerations, there's another crucial indicator: the preschool's licence.

Here’s what the tenure of your child’s preschool’s licence really means.


1

What early childhood services need to be licensed by ECDA?

Any paid service that entails the regular care and/or education of 5 or more children under 7 years old will need to be licensed by ECDA.

ECDA issues three classes of preschool licences - Class A (Infant Care), Class B (Childcare) and Class C (Kindergarten).

One preschool may hold multiple classes of licence, allowing them to offer different types of services to meet parents’ needs.


2

Where can I find information on my child’s preschool’s licence tenure?

All ECDA-licensed preschools must display their licence somewhere you can easily see when you visit.

You can also check on the preschool’s licence tenure using the Preschool Search feature in the LifeSG app.


3

What does a preschool’s licence tenure mean?

Every preschool in Singapore needs a valid licence to operate. ECDA issues preschools with licences that last for 6, 12, 24 or 36 months, depending on how well they meet the regulatory requirements.

  • 36-month licence: Given to preschools that consistently meet the regulatory requirements and have a good track record.

  • 24-month licence: Given to preschools that have met most of the regulatory requirements.

  • 6- or 12-month licence: Given to preschools that need closer monitoring due to poorer performance, or regulatory violations. As new preschools may need time to firm up their operations, ECDA issues all new preschools a default 12-month licence. They will be reassessed during their licence renewal thereafter.

Besides inspections for licence renewal, ECDA also conducts unannounced visits to ensure preschools are maintaining adequate standards of care and supervision. In certain situations when a preschool breaches ECDA’s regulations, ECDA may shorten its licence and monitor them more closely.


4

What does ECDA assess when you issue or renew a preschool’s licence?

To ensure that preschools provide quality care and education, preschools are assessed in 5 key areas:

  • Approval to operate by relevant authorities (e.g. valid use of premises)
  • Staff provision and quality (e.g. sufficient qualified programme staff)
  • Adequate and age-appropriate environment, facilities and resources (e.g. conducive environment for learning and development, sufficient sanitary facilities)
  • Safety, health and hygiene (e.g. hazardous materials are not placed in areas that are accessible to children, the preschool has and implements health check procedures each day)
  • School experience (e.g. developmentally appropriate programme plan, respectful and responsive staff-child interactions)


5

Should I only choose preschools with 36-month licences?

While a longer licence period does reflect the extent to which a preschool meets regulatory requirements (and thus may have better standards of care), it is not the only thing to consider. Parents may wish to visit the preschool and speak with the principal to better understand the preschool’s environment and teaching approach, and whether it suits your child’s needs. This will help you make a more informed choice in choosing a preschool.