Quality Childcare Becoming Too Costly for Many Families, Operators Warn | KiddyNews

The rising cost of childcare in Malaysia is placing increasing pressure on both families and operators, with many warning that maintaining safe, high-quality early childhood services is becoming financially unsustainable.

Operators say soaring rental rates, higher wages, stricter regulatory compliance, and the intense workload on educators are driving up expenses, a burden that could translate into higher fees for parents or even force more centres to close.

A System Under Strain

Industry leaders highlight several key challenges:

Rising Operating Costs: Rent, utilities, food prices, and salaries continue to increase, squeezing centre budgets.

Staff Shortages: Childcare educators remain undervalued and underpaid, leading to high turnover.

Heavy Regulatory Load: While JKM’s licensing and safety requirements are essential, smaller centres struggle with compliance costs.

Infant Care Decline: Many centres are stopping enrolment for infants under 1 year due to high liability and staffing demands.

Experts warn that the widening gap between demand and supply — especially in urban areas — may drive fees even higher and reduce access for lower- and middle-income families.

Parents Say the System Is Failing Them

For urban parents such as pharmacy assistant Masmira Ramly, 34, trust, safety and affordability are the biggest hurdles.

“When I hand over my baby, I need to feel confident they’re safe,” she said, citing reports of infants choking on milk – sometimes fatally – as a constant worry.

She said reputable centres now cost about RM1,800 a month, a figure that strains middle-income families. Options below RM1,000, she added, often come with risks such as being unregistered with JKM, overcrowding, or poor hygiene.

Living in the Bangsar–Seputeh area, where fees can reach RM2,000 monthly, Masmira eventually had to search for centres closer to her workplace — but even there, choices remain limited and highly competitive.

“Places Fill Up Fast” – Competition for Kindergartens Growing

In Putrajaya, Wan Muhammad Rifa’at Rosli, 33, faces similar challenges finding a kindergarten for his two children.

“Good kindergartens near my house fill up quickly. You have to book early or the spots are gone.”

He pays around RM2,500 for registration and RM630 monthly, noting that reputable centres in urban areas typically charge higher fees than those in other states.

Parents Question Value Amid Rising Fees

For Lee Gar Wei, 35, a freelancer and mother of three in Petaling Jaya, high fees are only part of the issue.

“The centre that I looked at charges very high fees, plus heavy miscellaneous and half-yearly charges. And some centres just have too many children for the available space.”

She prioritises hygiene, safety, and teacher attitudes — qualities she finds increasingly rare as centres become crowded.

Cyberjaya: Many Centres, But Good Ones Are Scarce

Despite Cyberjaya’s booming childcare scene, Executive Adilla, 31, says quality still varies widely.

“Good centres fill up fast. The ones with big compounds and outdoor spaces are expensive or not conveniently located.”

Her biggest concern is staffing quality.

“It’s hard to find centres that truly follow JKM’s child-to-carer ratio. I visit centres myself to make sure teachers are trained and genuinely passionate.”

Experts: Without Reforms, Parents Will Pay the Price 

Early childhood education advocates say the current situation is unsustainable.

Many call for:

• Better wage standards tied to qualifications
• More government subsidies and tax incentives
• Rental assistance for centres in high-cost urban areas
• Shared inspection systems to reduce administrative pressure
• More TVET and university training for EC educators
• Childcare vouchers for B40 and M40 families
• Simplified online licensing and an integrated childcare database under JKM

They warn that without coordinated intervention, Malaysia may soon face a deeper childcare crisis — one with long-term consequences for children, parents, and the economy.

A Growing Risk for Families

As cost pressures continue to rise, experts fear that families may increasingly turn to informal or unregistered childcare, which often lacks safety standards, qualified staff, and proper supervision. It is evident that quality childcare is not just a service, it is a necessity.

If high-quality childcare becomes a luxury few can afford, what does that mean for the country’s future workforce and for the wellbeing of young children who deserve a safe, nurturing start in life?

Source:

The Star – “Quality childcare a costly challenge”
The Star – “Interactive: Childcare centres closing in KL, Putrajaya and Perak despite rising demand”

Thoughtfully adapted by KiddyNews. Keeping parents and educators informed with the latest ECCE developments from Malaysia and beyond.