Question: What is the difference between a child care centre and a kindergarten? Which is more beneficial for the child? 

• According to ECDA’s definition: Kindergartens provide pre-school developmental programme for children from about 2 years to below 7 years of age. Child care centres provide child care services and pre-school developmental programmes for children aged between 18 months and below 7 years old. 

• Curriculum hours at Kinderland preschools are from 9:00 am to 11:30 am and 3:00 pm to 4.30 pm, with other activities like story-telling, play, exercise, bath and nap time interspersed throughout the day. In contrast, kindergarten programmes are usually condensed into 3 to 4 hours of curriculum lessons daily. Besides delivering our unique music-infused curriculum, Kinderland also offers quality infant and child care services alongside a wide range of optional enrichment programmes to ensure peace of mind for parents while their children grow with us. Catering to students’ varying interests, enrichment programmes are held within the school compound, during the time the child is in school, making this a convenient and effective option for parents and children. 

• Apart from providing lessons daily, childcare centres prepare meals and snacks and include nap time in a day’s schedule. All Kinderland preschools serve a well-balanced menu in line with the Health Promotion Board’s Healthy Meals in Pre-schools Programme (HMPP). All menus are designed by our certified in-house Nutritionist. Our meals consist of food from the four main food groups – brown rice, wholemeal bread, meat and others, vegetable and fruit. These help students receive the appropriate nutrients necessary for their growing needs. A larger variety of superfoods to support the immune system and brain health are also served at selected Kinderland Preschools and Kinderland Academy.

• There can be a common curriculum framework for both childcare and kindergarten centres as guided by MOE. For Kinderland, our unconventional self-designed programmes and curriculum are developed and achieved through the work of a team of international Early Childhood Professionals in curriculum research and development, continuous teacher training and strong partnerships with renowned preschools and institutions of higher learning in different countries.