Employing Maids for Infant Care

The crucial question arises: is it more practical to hire a full-time maid for infant care, or should one explore childcare or engage a babysitter? Surprisingly, the most economical option among these three, as mentioned earlier, could be hiring a full-time maid.

The cost of hiring a maid encompasses her monthly salary, approximately $600, and a monthly levy of $60 paid to the Singapore Government. Additional weekly expenses for the maid, such as food, utilities, and basic toiletries, sum up to about $300+. Hence, the estimated total monthly cost of hiring a maid is around $1000.

Now, let’s consider the cost of childcare for infants.

According to an article from 2017 available on this website: https://blog.cardup.co/childcare-singapore-options-much-cost/, “Fees typically range from $707.81 to $1,112.27, while infant care fees are from $1,342.85 to $2,014.28 before government subsidies.”

As evident, most individuals would easily surpass the $1,000 mark, excluding transportation expenses to and from the childcare center.

And what about hiring a babysitter for infant care? It typically costs around $16 per hour, and for an 8-hour workday, amounting to the time one is at work, the daily cost is approximately $128. If the daily earnings from the job are less than $128, it might be more cost-effective to stay home full time and care for the infant personally. On a monthly basis, considering 5 days a week and 8 hours each day, the total cost would be $2,560.

Are we recommending hiring a maid solely because it appears to be the cheapest option? Not exactly. At JayaMaids Employment Agency, we too conduct interviews with our employers, especially first-time employers. We inquire about their reasons for opting for a full-time maid instead of exploring other options. Only when we find those reasons valid do we commence the search for the right maid.

Our approach is geared towards ensuring the satisfaction of both parties, with a priority on the maid completing her two-year contract. For infant or child care, we often recommend considering a maid with clear understanding of English instructions. Having a good proficiency in English helps prevent miscommunication. As the child grows, having a maid capable of communicating in English is advantageous, considering that many households teach English as the primary language.