Anonymous
July 19, 2026Childcare solutions used & satisfaction
If you needed childcare in the past 10 years, what childcare solutions (e.g., childcare center/nursery, nanny, family support, adjusted work schedule, etc.) did your family end up using? Are you satisfied with the availability of childcare options in your country of employment, why or why not?
confinement center, confinement nanny, domestic helper, daycare. Yes. In Singapore, all the above options are available, nearby and many of them are very much affordable. The quality of the childcare service is also generally high.
Joined multiple waitlists?
Did you join multiple childcare waitlists while searching for care?
No
Biggest challenges & their impact
Looking back, what were the biggest childcare challenges (e.g., long waiting times, affordability, quality, location, etc.) your family faced? How did these challenges impact your work and family life?
Even with the support of a strong childcare system, I still face significant challenges. Childcare does not depend solely on institutional support; it also requires a considerable amount of parents’ time, energy, and emotional attention. Many caregiving responsibilities cannot be fully outsourced, particularly when a child is sick, adjusting to a new environment, or simply needs a parent’s presence. As a result, my husband and my workflow can occasionally be disrupted, and it can be difficult to maintain a consistently predictable work schedule.
One thing to change
If you could change one thing about today's childcare system, what would it be? (For example: access, affordability, quality, employer or university support, emergency backup care, or anything else.)
I think the situation really depends on the country. Personally, I have no complaints about the childcare system in Singapore, which provides strong institutional support for working parents. My university also allows female faculty members to extend their tenure clock by up to two years, although the same policy does not apply to male faculty members. However, I am not sure whether simply granting male faculty members the same extension would necessarily lead to greater involvement in childcare. Formal policies can provide important support, but they may not be sufficient on their own to change how caregiving responsibilities are shared within families.
Discussion (0)
No comments yet. Start the discussion below.