Support Measures for Families with Young Children Spending Extended Hours in Childcare

Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in light of the research on young children spending extended hours in childcare (a) what steps are being taken to mitigate negative impacts on these young children; (b) whether there are plans to strengthen social-emotional support for children attending long hours; and (c) what additional support is in place for flexible work arrangements to reduce such hours.

Research has consistently shown that the early years are a crucial period where positive experiences and relationships can shape our children's future learning and development. As the child's first and most influential teacher, parents play an important role in their development. We encourage parents to spend more quality time with their children, such as by bonding with their children through daily routines like dinner and bedtime, as well as activities like play and reading.

Employers have a part to play, by providing a family-friendly work environment that supports working parents in balancing their caregiving and work commitments. The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, which took effect on 1 December 2024, was introduced to support all workers, including parents, to better manage their work and caregiving responsibilities in a sustainable manner. This sets out the process for employees to request one-off or more sustained arrangements to meet their caregiving needs.

We have observed that more parents are enrolling their children in full-day childcare over half-day programmes to balance their work and family commitments. To support children in preschools, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has prioritised improvements to the quality of preschool care and education and embraced a holistic approach to child development. For example, the national learning and development frameworks were updated in recent years to place greater prominence on developing children's social and emotional competencies. ECDA also curates relevant resources and training related to children's social and emotional development for educators as part of capability-building efforts to support children's holistic development.