Early Intervention Programme in Singapore: A Cost Guide To Growing With Your Child
Have you watched the Netflix drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo?
If you haven’t, give it a try!
The plot follows the life story of Woo Young Woo, a young lawyer with Asperger’s syndrome and how she navigates through her professional and personal life.
It highlights the different sides of persons with disabilities (learning disabilities in particular – autism and high/low intelligence quotient) and further sheds light on the challenges caregivers faced.
If you’re wondering why I’m talking about this drama… it’s because one thing that struck me throughout the series was… how Young Woo’s father planned his finances as a single parent.
While it’s not elaborated in the show, we can tell that his kimbap (Korean rice rolls) business forms his main income stream, and they live rather comfortably in a two-storey house.
Inspired by the drama, I hope this article can help caregivers and parents (or parents-to-be) plan their finances ahead, specifically in the early stages of their children’s development.
Let’s see the costs, subsidies and types of early childhood intervention programmes available in Singapore.
TL;DR: Subsidies & Costs to Early Intervention Programmes in Singapore
Click here to jump:
- Government-subsidised programmes (EIPIC)
- Government-subsidised programmes (PPIP)
- Private Early Intervention centres
Disclaimer: This is a non-exhaustive list and information provided by Seedly serves as an educational piece and is not intended to be personalised advice. All prices listed were obtained from the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), Ministry of Social and Family Development and the respective social service agencies.
What Is an Early Intervention Programme?
Early Intervention (EI) programmes are designed to help children with developmental needs gain skills and maximise their capacity for independence.
For the purpose of our readers, these are common intervention programmes:
| Types of Therapies | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Behaviour Therapy | This may be needed in some children for behavioural difficulties that affect socially appropriate behaviours |
| Occupational Therapy | This can address fine motor skills, sensory processing and self-help issues |
| Physical Therapy | Physical therapy is often helpful for children with delays in gross motor skills |
| Speech & Language | Speech therapy is typically used to address problems in the areas of understanding and producing language and speech sounds |
Early Intervention Programme for Infants & Children (EIPIC)
Currently, children under the age of seven can receive intervention through government-funded Early intervention (EI) Programmes.
There are two types of subsidised EI programmes:
- Children with mild developmental needs are supported by the Development Support (DS) and Learning Support (LS) programmes in a preschool setting;
- Children with moderate to severe developmental needs, they are supported through the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC), provided at EI centres.
| EI Services in the EI Centre Setting: Serves children with mild-moderate, moderate/ moderate-to-severe / severe developmental needs | |
|---|---|
| EIPIC Under-2s Delivered in 21 EI centres run by 10 Social Service Agencies | - Increased emphasis on skilling of parents/caregivers - 1 to 2 EI sessions (2 to 4 hours) per week - Delivered by EIPIC teachers, therapists, psychologists |
| EIPIC@Centre Delivered in 21 EI centres run by 10 Social Service Agencies | - 2 to 3 sessions, or a total of 5 to 12 hours per week - Delivered by EIPIC teachers, therapists, psychologists |
| EI Services in the Preschool Setting: Serves children with mild developmental needs | |
| Development Support-Plus (DS-Plus) | - Serves children with mild-moderate developmental needs, who have made sufficient progress under EIPIC@Centre - Average of 2 sessions (2 to 4 hours) per week, for about 3 to 6 months |
| Development Support | - Serves children with mild developmental needs - 1 session per week (1 to 2 hours) for 3 to 4 months - Delivered by Therapists and Learning Support Educators |
| Learning Support | - Serves children with learning needs - 1 session per week (1 to 2 hours) for 2 to 3 months - Delivered by Learning Support Educators |
Currently, families receive subsidies for these programmes based on per capita household income.
The out-of-pocket expenses after subsidies will range from $5 to $430 per month, broken down as follows:
| Monthly Household Per Capita Income (PCI) | EIPIC, EIPIC@Centre, EIPIC Under-2s | *Development Support (DS)/DS-Plus | *Learning Support | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $0 - $1,000 | $10 | $5 | $5 |
| Tier 2 | $1,001 - $1,400 | $50 | $25 | $5 |
| Tier 3 | $1,401 - $1,800 | $80 | $60 | $5 |
| Tier 4 | $1,801 - $2,300 | $130 | $90 | $20 |
| Tier 5 | $2,301 - $2,800 | $210 | $140 | $20 |
| Tier 6 | $2,801 - $3,500 | $270 | $180 | $130 |
| Tier 7 | $3,501 - $4,600 | $330 | $220 | $130 |
| Tier 8 | $4,600+ | $430 | $290 | $130 |
| *Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Education Support, Psychology | ||||
Details:
Website: Link
Read more:
- Best Savings Accounts for Kids 2022: Best Places to Grow Your Child’s Money
- Parenthood Hacks: How We Saved Close to S$8,000 in the First Year as Parents
- How Much Money Should You Be Giving Your Children as Allowance?
EIPIC-Private Intervention Providers Programme (PPIP)
The Private Intervention Providers Programme (PPIP) is another subsidy scheme provided by ECDA-appointed private Early Intervention (EI) centres, for parents with children enrolled in selected private intervention centres.
Similar to EIPIC’s subsidies, the PPIP is also tiered according to household income as seen below:
| Monthly Household Per Capita Income | Cost Range (6 hours) | Cost Range (8 to 9 hours) | Cost Range (11 to 12 hours) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $0 - $1,000 | $145 - $329.75 | $253 $276.25 | $325 - $356.50 |
| Tier 2 | $1,001 - $1,400 | $210 - $267.30 | $300 - $331.50 | $390 - $427.80 |
| Tier 3 | $1,401 - $1,800 | $245 - $311.85 | $350 - $386.75 | $455 - $499.10 |
| Tier 4 | $1,801 - $2,300 | $280 - $356.40 | $400 - $442.00 | $520 - $570.40 |
| Tier 5 | $2,301 - $2,800 | $350 - $445.50 | $500 - $552.50 | $650 - $713 |
| Tier 6 | $2,801 - $3,500 | $455 - $579.15 | $650 - $718.25 | $845 - $926.90 |
| Tier 7 | $3,501- $4,600 | $560 - $712.80 | $800 - $884.00 | $1,040 - $1,140.80 |
| Tier 8 | $4,600+ | $700 - $891 | $1,000 - $1,105 | $1,300 - $1,426 |
| Registration Fee (before GST) | $200 - $300 | |||
| Assessment Fee (before GST) | $200 - 1,600 | |||
To be eligible for the PPIP programme subsidies, the child should be assessed by a paediatrician to require Early Intervention support at an EIPIC centre, with a referral made through SG Enable.
EIPIC referral must be from the Department of Child Development at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH DCD), Child Development Unit at National University Hospital (NUH CDU) or a private paediatrician.
Details:
Private Early Intervention Centres
As with most healthcare options, early intervention programmes in private centres tend to be pricier.
So, to better manages your finances, you can check out the ECDA-appointed private centres under the PPIP scheme first before deciding on a private centre.
| Early Intervention Programme | Average Cost (per hour) |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assessment | $180 to $850 |
| Occupational Therapy Intervention | $150 to $180 |
| Speech & Language Therapy Assessment | $180 to $850 |
| Speech & Language Therapy Intervention | $150 to $214 |
| Educational Therapy Intervention | $100 to $180 |
| Play Therapy | $100 to $130 |
| Social Skills Training | $100 to $120 |
Just for a gauge, the Early Intervention Placement programme at Dynamics costs about $1,800 per month for a three-day programme.
For a five-day programme, it’ll be $2,200, not including the report and initial assessment.
Disclaimer: This list is non-exhaustive and average costs are obtained from Raffles Medical Group, Dynamics, HeadStart for Life and Charis Therapy Centre as of 15 Aug 2022.
How To Choose Between Private or Public?
At times, parents may or may not wait for months or even years for their therapist of choice, hence some parents may opt for private.
Apart from costs, there’re other considerations such as:
- travelling between places for children who require multiple services
- distance from the centre to your home
- number of sessions required based on assessments
Every child is different and each of them will progress at different rates. We don’t claim to be experts, but for children who need multiple services, it might be more practical to choose a centre that provides a range of holistic integrated services to avoid multiple travels.
Parenting is never easy, and we hope that you’ve gained some insights into the resources available in Singapore, and hopefully, this will help you with your planning.
If you’re in doubt, you can always reach out to the Seedly Community.
Related Articles:
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- The Ultimate Guide to Baby Support Grant and Baby Bonus in Singapore (How to Apply + Payout Schedule + CDA)
- Which Child Development Account (CDA) Should You Open for Your Child in 2022?
- A Singaporean Guide: Grants, Subsidies and Financial Support at Every Life Stage
- Here’s How To Maximise Your Child’s Child Development Account (CDA)
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