SINGAPORE — Four new pre-schools will open in Sengkang West in the next two years — the first by December this year — while work continues to identify more suitable sites for these centres to meet the needs of the high proportion of young families living there, said the Single Member Constituency’s Member of Parliament Lam Pin Min yesterday.

Estimating that 70 to 80 per cent of existing residents are young families, and with more expected to move in as 11 Build To Order (BTO) projects get completed over the next two years, Dr Lam acknowledged that there is “a shortage of childcare and pre-school facilities”. “The majority of Sengkang West residents actually fall into the young age group ... with the new BTO flats coming up, we expect more young families coming in. With young families, we will see more young children and with that, the need for more childcare facilities,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a National Day Sports Carnival in his ward.

“We are working closely with the Housing and Development Board to identify suitable void deck spaces within our existing estate to convert them into potential childcare centres.”

By December, a NTUC My First Skool childcare centre will open at Fernvale. It will add 75 childcare and 20 infant care places. The other three, which will be managed by the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), are scheduled to open next year and in 2015, at Anchorvale Street, Fernvale and Sengkang West Way.

The ward now has one Cherie Hearts, three My First Skool and four PCF childcare and pre-school centres.

Commenting on the alleged child abuse incident at a Toa Payoh My First Skool centre earlier this month, Dr Lam said the incident was “most likely a one-off” and added that residents have not mentioned any concerns about the existing operators so far.

He added: “We work with well-established service providers and anchor operators, those with good track records to ensure that good childcare teachers are being employed and a good curriculum is being delivered to our residents.”

The 51-year-old part-time teacher, who allegedly dragged a three-year-old boy across the floor and pushed him to the floor with force, causing him to suffer a fractured shin, was sacked and will be charged in court on a later date. The centre’s licence tenure was also cut from 24 months to six months.

Parents whom TODAY spoke to said the incident would not deter them from sending their children to My First Skool centres although some, like homemaker Jaime Goh, 34, felt teacher-to-student ratios can be reduced to improve the quality of the education, as well as prevent teachers from being overwhelmed by their charges.