When do I have to start thinking about preschool for my child in Singapore?

There are a few types of preschools in Singapore: 1. Infant care (full day for baby below 18months old) 2. Childcare (full day for PG to K2) 3. Kindergarten (3-4hours for N1 to K2) 4. Playgroup, PG (1-2hours for below N1, i.e. 3 years old), e.g. Talent Plus, Appletree etc. If you intend to put your child in infant care, you should start to place a confirmation before baby is born, especially for the popular ones. For childcare, normally before baby turns 1, you need to start your search and deposit placement already as cc starts to accept intake at 18 months old. If you have shortlisted cc in mind already, just place a deposit to secure your place. For PCF and private kindergarten, there will be a time period for open registration. Normally is 1 academic year before the actual entry year. Kindergarten is based on the year that your child born in instead of based on her/his actual age. E.g. my daugther born in Nov 2010, she will still be in N1 although she just turned 2 years and 2 months for January 2013 intake. For playgroup, it is normally 1-2 hours that catering for child aged 18 months up to 3 years old. Normally for kids who have a care taker at home and wish to let her/him socialise and learn simple things, this option is good until formal preschool. Normally playgroups are located within the neighborhood and quite high in demand. Thus, you need to register early too in order to secure a place.