Searching for a part-time nanny in Singapore usually starts with a simple need: someone reliable to look after your child for a few hours or a few days a week. It quickly turns into a comparison of very different arrangements. This guide explains the realistic options, from a private babysitter to the government’s childminding pilot, infant care centres and a live-in helper, what each one can and cannot legally offer, and what to check before you hand over your child.
The words get used loosely. “Nanny”, “babysitter” and “childminder” have no single official definition here, so two families can mean quite different things by the same word. What matters is who the carer is, where the care happens, how it is checked and whether the arrangement is legal.
We place full-time live-in helpers, including helpers for newborn and young child care, and we arrange part-time help for cleaning and cooking. We do not run a part-time nanny service. That gives us a fairly neutral view of the alternatives, and families regularly ask us to help them compare.
Your options for a part-time nanny in Singapore
Broadly, families choose between four arrangements:
- A private part-time nanny or babysitter you find and engage yourself, who comes to your home for agreed hours.
- A childminder under ECDA’s childminding pilot, who looks after a small number of infants in her own home or a community space.
- An infant care or childcare centre licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), with full-day, half-day or flexible programmes.
- A full-time live-in helper, who is part of the household and can cover childcare alongside other household work.
Many families combine them, for example infant care on weekdays with a babysitter for occasional evenings, or a helper plus a grandparent on fixed days. The right mix depends on your hours, your budget, your child’s age and how much flexibility you need.
A private babysitter: flexible, but the checks are yours
A private part-time babysitter in Singapore offers the most flexibility. You agree the hours, your child stays in familiar surroundings, and care can fit around shift work or irregular schedules. The trade-off is that nobody else is checking the arrangement for you. ECDA licenses centres, not individual babysitters you engage privately, so vetting, references and supervision all sit with you.
There is also a legal point that catches families out. Under MOM’s rules, a migrant domestic worker must only perform household chores at her employer’s residential address declared to MOM. Asking a neighbour’s or friend’s helper to babysit for you, even on her rest day and even for pay, is not allowed, and her employer can face a financial penalty of up to $10,000 and a bar on employing helpers. Make sure anyone you engage is legally able to work for you.
ECDA’s childminding pilot for infants
For babies, the closest thing to an official part-time nanny is ECDA’s childminding pilot for infants. According to ECDA, it runs from 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2027 and works like this:
- Who it is for: Singapore Citizen infants aged 2 to 18 months who are not also enrolled in an ECDA-licensed infant care centre.
- Where and how many: childminders care for one to three infants at any one time, in their own homes or in community spaces.
- Checks and training: ECDA runs background checks, and childminders must complete mandatory training, including infant first aid and basic infant care, before they can be deployed.
- Hours and fees: subsidised care is booked in half-day (5 hour) or full-day (10 hour) blocks between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. ECDA lists fees before GST of $16.50 for a half day and $33.00 for a full day, says the pilot is made more affordable through government subsidies, and Child Development Account monies can be used to further defray costs.
Families can search for nearby childminders through ECDA’s ChildminderGoWhere service or contact the three appointed operators named on ECDA’s page. Because it is a pilot, check the current terms directly with ECDA before planning around it.
Infant care and childcare centres
Centres are the most structured option. ECDA’s guide to choosing a preschool explains that infant care centres take children from 2 months to 18 months, and childcare centres from 18 months to below 7 years. Full-day programmes run from 7am to 7pm, centres open five or five and a half days a week, and they close on Sundays and gazetted public holidays. Half-day or flexible programmes may be available, with at least 12 hours a week and 3 hours a session.
Centres suit parents with regular office hours who value a licensed setting, trained staff and a curriculum. They are less helpful for evenings, weekends or a child who is unwell, which is often when families start looking for a part-time babysitter as backup. ECDA suggests asking about staff-to-child ratios, staff training, emergency procedures, meals and the fee and withdrawal policies before you sign.
When a live-in helper makes more sense
If you need help most days, across mornings and evenings, a full-time live-in helper is often the more practical answer. She can look after your child at home and also help with cooking, laundry and cleaning. You become her employer, with responsibilities that include the Work Permit, insurance, a weekly rest day and at least one rest day each month that cannot be compensated away.
The cost picture is different too. The monthly levy for a first helper is $300, but MOM’s levy concession reduces it to $60 when the household includes a Singapore Citizen child below 16 and the conditions are met. Our article on nanny, babysitter or helper for a newborn walks through the trade-offs, and our full-time helper page explains how a live-in placement works. For the weeks right after birth, see our live-in newborn and confinement care.
Part-time help is a different thing again. Our part-time helpers handle cleaning and cooking, not childminding, and MOM notes that basic child-minding is no longer supported with manpower concessions under the Household Services Scheme pilot from March 2026. If you are weighing up hourly help, our guide to what part-time help really costs sets out the numbers.
What to check before you hire a babysitter
Whoever you choose, a few checks protect your child and make the arrangement work.
- Identity and right to work. Confirm who the person is and that they can legally work for you.
- References. Speak to at least two families they have cared for, ideally with children of a similar age, and ask specific questions about reliability and how they handled a difficult moment.
- First aid. Ask whether they hold a current infant or child first aid certificate, and what they would do if your child choked or developed a high fever.
- A paid trial with you at home. Watch how they feed, change, settle and play with your child before you leave them alone together.
- Written house rules. Cover safe sleep on the back in a clear cot, food your child must not have, screen time, visitors, outings, phone use and photos on social media.
- Emergency information. Leave your contact numbers, your child’s doctor, allergies and medicines, your address written out clearly, and a reminder to call 995 in an emergency.
- A sick child plan. Agree in advance what happens if your child or the babysitter is unwell.
Trust your instincts as well. A carer who is reluctant to be observed, vague about past jobs or dismissive of your routines is not the right fit, however convenient the hours.
Related guides: Maid for Newborn Care Singapore: A Practical Hiring Guide and Helper Childcare Routine: How Your Maid Can Help Your Family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire someone else’s helper as a part-time babysitter?
No. MOM’s rules say a migrant domestic worker must only do household chores at her own employer’s residential address declared to MOM. Working for another household, even occasionally and even for extra pay on her day off, is not allowed. Her employer can face a financial penalty of up to $10,000 and be barred from employing helpers, so engage someone who is legally able to work for you.
Is there a government-supported part-time nanny option for babies?
Yes, for now. ECDA’s childminding pilot runs from 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2027 for Singapore Citizen infants aged 2 to 18 months. Childminders care for one to three infants in their own homes or community spaces, after ECDA background checks and mandatory training including infant first aid. Care is booked in half-day or full-day blocks on weekdays, government subsidies make it more affordable, and ECDA lists fees on its pilot page.
From what age can my baby go to infant care in Singapore?
ECDA states that infant care centres take children from 2 months to 18 months, after which childcare centres take children from 18 months to below 7 years. Full-day programmes run from 7am to 7pm, centres open five or five and a half days a week, and half-day or flexible options may be available.
Does Femme5 provide part-time nannies?
No. Femme5 places full-time live-in helpers, including live-in help for newborn and confinement care, and arranges part-time help for home cleaning and cooking. If you need regular childcare at home, a live-in helper may suit you, and if you need occasional cover, the options in this guide are a better starting point.
Is a live-in helper cheaper than a part-time nanny?
It depends on how many hours of care you need. A live-in helper involves salary, a monthly levy of $300 for a first helper, or $60 under the levy concession for households with a Singapore Citizen child below 16, plus insurance, food and accommodation. For a few hours a week, part-time care is usually simpler. For daily care across long hours, families often find a helper more practical.
Conclusion
There is no single right answer to finding a part-time nanny in Singapore. A private babysitter gives flexibility but puts all the checks on you. ECDA’s childminding pilot offers a checked, subsidised home-based option for infants while it runs. Centres give structure for regular office hours, and a live-in helper suits families who need help every day. Whichever you choose, keep it legal, check references properly and write down your routines.
If daily help at home sounds like the better fit, we are happy to talk through what that would involve. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your family’s needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like.
The Femme5 Team
Maid placement specialists, Femme5 Maid Agency
Our consultants work with Singaporean and expatriate families on helper matching, contracts and MOM compliance, and we verify the regulatory guidance in our articles directly against the Ministry of Manpower’s published requirements.
