Monthly Archive

I was unpacking Misha’s schoolbag  on Tuesday night when I receive an unexpected surprise. Tucked between the pages of her communication notebook was a printed letter from her childcare centre. It read, "Change of Operator of Childcare Centre". Reading it had me, to a certain extent, filled with a mixed feeling of emotion – sad, confused, angry – all mingled into one.

A fragment of the letter read, "We regret to inform you that our centre [centre name] will cease to operate with effect 30 April 2009 Thursday. The centre, however, will continue to provide early childhood services under a new childcare operator with effect from 1 May 2009. We wish to iterate that the children are our outmost priority. Our curriculum and programme will continue as normal until the end of April 09."

April? April! That’s like in two months time!

I had spent more than 5 months in 2007 to read up and look around for *the* childcare centre to enrol Misha in, factoring the centre’s credibility and their teachers, its distance from home (somewhere convenient for us to send and fetch her), and of course, cost. Now, it’s back to square one all over again.

When P fetched Misha that same day, he had asked one of her teachers what is to become of them all after the shutdown, to which she replied that some of them will be posted to different centres with the same company. Others may consider other alternatives.

On Friday, 27th Feb, the centre held a briefing session to explain the drive behind its decision to cease operation (according to the operations manager who conducted the briefing, the centre is currently running at a loss), and provide options for us parents. He, whom I thought could have done much much better at answering our questions and doubts, and tackled unhappy parents’ feedback, mentioned that we can either (a) continue to let our children stay under the new childcare operator for a no-fee transfer, (b) transfer our children to their other centres at other location (provided there is vacancy), or (c) enrol our children at different childcare centres altogether.

Many parents were obviously not happy (one unhappy parent even mentioned she had already been twice bitten – stating that the previous centre she enrolled her children in with the same company also shut down for the same reasons, and was told that this one will not be shutting down anytime soon). Some were not happy due to the lack of compensation from the company (this I have to agree). Some were not happy because the company couldn’t provide concrete solution to our problems, but instead reiterated *their* problem.

I, for one, was sad for the fact that the children will lose that bond they have built with their peers and teachers over these years. The teachers there have been really great at guiding and teaching our children, and I cannot deny that they have made a positive impact on our children.

The few reasons which made me (and P) upset were that:

• we had just purchased brand new sets of uniforms for Misha a few weeks ago, and they don’t come cheap. If we decide with (a), the uniforms will eventually go to waste (we can always donate them, but that’s a different thing altogether).

• why tell us only now, when the centre’s company have been "studying" the centre’s operations for three years (as what the operations manager claimed). Why the short notice, with lack of compensation? Why not (at least) tell us at the beginning of the year so that we won’t even act on the point above?

• if we choose (a), the monthly feeswill be more expensive (this I came to know not from the current centre, but the new operator through their registration forms and brochure). It is known that the new operators will be renovating the place, and installing air-condition. This again will lead to frequent closure days for renovation works, but ultimately monthly fees will still need to be paid.

• if we choose (a), we have to enrol by 6th March, with a $850 cheque payment deposit, to enjoy $100 rebate on monthly fees. (who the heck can get that kind of money in one week, when we’re only informed just a few days ago?)

• the centre’s company can help to provide transportation for one year if we choose (b), but only if we choose either Pasir Ris, Changi Airport or Changi Business Park (provided there are vacancies). However they cannot even confirm whether transportation can be made free of charge. (the operations manager even asked us whether we would consider (b), if they provide free transportation. If they cannot even confirm, how can we decide? And what more, we have to make a decision before 6th March to apply for the point above).
   
• what if all parents decided on (b), and move to, let say, Pasir Ris (that being a void deck childcare centre). Is there any guarantee that it will also not going to shut down (as like the fate of other void deck centres)? If we choose Changi Airport or Changi Business Park, monthly fees would be between $1000-$1500 a month before subsidy, and who the heck can afford that? (the operations manager did mentioned that school fees will still remain the same as what we’re paying now though but only for one year).

• if we choose (a) or (c), we would need to study the background and curriculum of these centres, which mean we may need to take additional leave to go to the centre and speak to their principal, and we only have less than 2 months to go. In the case of (a), that would be 1 week.

• we did not buy the fact that the current centre is running at a loss which the company claim it is. If it does, why would the company invest on opening more childcare centres elsewhere, including Cecil which opens last year, and Changi Business Park which just open in January this year?

There are much more to deliberate with so little time. And it doesn’t help that there are many things happening at work to think about (I’m not going to get into those details now). I hope both P and I can arrive at a decision soon.