Why Do We Run Preschools? A Children’s Day Reflection from Little Olive Tree Singapore

Why do we run preschools?

We run preschools not simply to provide childcare or education, but to create places where children are seen, loved, valued and supported. In Singapore’s increasingly competitive preschool landscape, enrolment, manpower, finances and compliance all matter. But they are means to an end, not the end itself. The real question is whether we are caring well for the children entrusted to us. Running a preschool in Singapore right now can feel like living inside a spreadsheet.

Enrolment. Manpower. Retention. Rental. Fees. Funding. Audits. ECDA requirements. Parent expectations that keep rising even when the birth rate keeps falling. And the quiet pressure that sits behind all of it: If we can’t make the numbers work, we won’t be here next year.

And we’re seeing it happen.

Preschools are closing — not with a big bang, but subtly. Quietly. One day the lights are on, the next day the signboard comes down. No headlines. No farewell post. Just… gone.

The landscape is getting more competitive by the month. Parents are spoilt for choice, and honestly, we get it. When you’re raising a child in Singapore, you’re already doing mental math all day: convenience, quality, cost. Government-backed preschools are expanding, and their objective is clear. Parents have been saying for years that they feel stretched and unsupported. The birth rate is falling. So the message is: We hear you. Let’s make preschool more accessible, more affordable, more available.

That’s a good thing.

But preschool was never the only reason Singaporeans hesitate to have children. Not everyone has a village. Not everyone has grandparents nearby, flexible jobs, or a support system that catches them when life gets heavy.

And preschools cannot become that village.

So it brings us to the question we don’t ask enough, especially when we’re tired, when we’re staring at budgets, when we’re trying to “stay competitive”.

Why do we run preschools?

This week, something happened in one of our preschools that has stayed with us.

A young child came to school with a red swelling on her face. At first glance, it looked like a bruise. But after two days, it still hadn’t gone down.

As educators, we don’t get to look away. Safeguarding isn’t optional. So our team did what we needed to do: we made the report, and we spoke to the mother. The mother admitted that in a moment of anger, she had hit her child.

When the authorities couldn’t reach the parents after that, an officer came to bring the child to the hospital for a medical examination.

The child’s safety has to come first.

This was a very young child being taken away by a stranger to an unfamiliar hospital. She didn’t understand “mandatory reporting” or “procedure” or “statutory authority”. She only knew she was being brought somewhere she didn’t recognize, and she cried.

There was no requirement for a familiar adult to accompany her.

Operationally, it would have been better for our teacher to stay in school. There were other children to care for. But there was also a frightened child who needed someone she knew.

So our teacher went.

The Principal, who was on leave, heard what was happening and chose to come back too. Not because she had to. But because she cared for the child, and she cared for her staff.

At the hospital, they waited a long time. There was no proper place for the child to rest. No food provided during the wait. When the child got tired, our teacher carried her until she fell asleep.

With no bed. No pillow.

Our teacher’s arms became her pillow.

That image has not left us.

Because our systems can be very clear about what must be done to protect a child and much less clear about who will care for the child while all that protecting is taking place.

And for a young child, being safe and feeling safe are not the same thing. Child protection processes need to consider not only how a child is removed from possible harm, but also the child’s experience throughout the process — including familiarity, comfort, food, rest and continuity of care. If a familiar educator needs to accompany a child for several hours, how can the preschool be supported? Who covers the classroom? Who attends to something as basic as the child’s meals and rest?

Protection should not stop at removing a child from possible harm. It should consider the child’s experience throughout the process.

But the story didn’t end there.

Afterwards, the mother’s response was unexpected.

Since we cared so much for her child, she said, she would now leave the child in preschool for the full twelve hours — 7am to 7pm. The child behaved better at school anyway, she said. She even asked if we could take care of her on Saturdays.

There’s an irony there.

Our care for the child became the reason the parent wanted us to take over even more of that care.

But if we truly care for the child, taking over cannot be the answer.

A preschool should support the family, not replace it.

Sometimes caring for a child also means walking alongside a struggling parent, not shaming them, not abandoning them, but helping the family recover its own capacity to care.

It takes a village to raise a child. But the village should not replace the family. The village should help the family become family again.

So when people ask why we keep insisting on staying in this “competition”, even when we can’t out-convenience, out-subsidise, or out-scale the biggest players, this is why.

We’re trying to stay faithful to a mission.

Every child shouldn’t just be schooled.

Every child should be seen, loved, and valued.

Yes, we need to watch enrolment. Balance finances. Manage manpower. Comply with regulations. A healthy P&L matters because it keeps the doors open.

But the P&L cannot be the ultimate KPI of a preschool.

The real question is simpler and harder:

Did we care well for the children entrusted to us?

Sometimes the answer won’t be found in an enrolment report, a compliance checklist, or a spreadsheet.

Sometimes it’s found in a hospital waiting area, where a tired child has nowhere to sleep.

As we celebrate Children’s Day, perhaps this is our reminder to stop only looking at the numbers and look again at the child.

Because every child deserves more than a happy Children’s Day.

They deserve to be cared for with dignity, with tenderness and with courage every day.

We won’t know how long we can stay competitive. But as long as we’re here, our mission remains the same: to ensure that every child is understood and supported, and that preschool remains a place where children can feel safe and happy.

That is why we run preschools.

Written by Mr. Lim Ee Tuo Executive Director, Presbyterian Preschool Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we run preschools?

Preschools provide children with a place to learn, grow and build relationships while being cared for by trained educators. At Little Olive Tree, we believe the purpose goes beyond education and childcare: every child should be seen, loved, valued and supported.

What is the role of a preschool beyond education?

A preschool is also a place where children can experience belonging, safety, relationships and care. Educators work alongside families to support children’s development and wellbeing.

Why is child safeguarding important in preschools?

Child safeguarding is an essential responsibility of early childhood educators. When educators have concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing, they must take appropriate action to protect the child and follow the relevant safeguarding processes.

Should preschools replace family care?

No. Preschools can support families, but they should not replace them. A strong early childhood community should help families build their capacity to care for and support their children.

What makes a good preschool?

A good preschool needs more than strong operations and regulatory compliance. It should provide a safe, caring and supportive environment where children are understood, valued and able to develop through meaningful relationships and experiences.

What should be the most important measure of a preschool?

Enrolment, financial sustainability, staffing and compliance are important to keeping a preschool operating. But they should ultimately serve a larger purpose: caring well for the children entrusted to the preschool.