The following article was published in the Straits Times on 31 Jan 2005.
No maid, no problem!
Straits Times, 31 January 2005
BANK manager Esther Lian, 32, does the daily chores herself these days.
She decided to do without a maid six months ago as she wanted a better carer for her two-year-old daughter and more privacy for the family.
Now her little girl goes to a childcare centre and she has a woman from a housekeeping company come in twice a week to clean her five-room flat in Yishun and to do the ironing.
She is not the only one ditching the full-time, live-in maid. No figures are available on how many do so, but housekeeping companies say they have more than enough work on their hands to keep them busy.
The director of Aunt Victoria Sparkles & Cleans, Ms Amy Allyar, said that three years ago, 70 per cent of her clients were expatriates and the rest, locals. Now, it is the other way round.
Another housekeeping agency, Mrs Sparkles, said the ratio of its local customers has grown from 20 to 40 per cent of its clientele.
The profile is also changing, they said, adding that there is a growing number of middle-class families living in Housing Board flats engaging their services.
Singaporeans who have no maid say it is now easier to do without one as there are now care services for infants and the elderly.
The dozen Singaporean families The Straits Times spoke to who do not have live-in maids said they call on the services of individuals and companies to clean, babysit and take care of the elderly, because they are convenient, more efficient and flexible.
It also saves them having to grapple with differences in language and culture, among other things.
As Mrs Lian pointed out: 'What do you do with the maid when the family goes on holiday?'
Financial analyst Tan Chai Har, who also decided to go without a full-time domestic helper six months ago, said: 'Some people are too spoilt by the luxury of having a maid ... like getting served a cup of tea when tired.
'Yes it's tiring, but we're coping well,' added the 34-year-old mother of two, who has dinner at her mother's place now.
More might have to follow in the two women's footsteps because of the new rules on foreign domestic workers. From Jan 1, all new foreign maids must be at least 23 years old and have at least eight years of formal schooling. They must also pass an English test.
The new rules were introduced because the Manpower Ministry expects an influx of new maids and a rise in maid-employer problems, now that it is lowering the foreign maid levy from $345 to $250 for families with children under 12 or with elderly parents or grandparents.
Maid agents say the new rules have forced them to severely cut back on the number of Indonesian domestic workers they bring in because they do not have the necessary years of education or the facility with English.
And as agents push for higher fees for securing a maid from a prospective employer to offset the higher costs charged by the maid suppliers, some Singaporean families are looking seriously at alternatives.
Housekeeping and cleaning companies charge about $280 a month for a weekly four-hour session of cleaning and ironing.
Babysitters charge $500 to $650 a month.
NTUC Childcare charges $450 to $550 for a full-day programme for children aged 18 months to three years old. This is partly offset by a $150 government subsidy. Its full-day fees for infants above two months old are $1,188, before the $400 subsidy.
While families do not mind paying people to clean their homes, they still prefer relatives to take care of their infants and elderly, said companies.
Finance manager Shang Cheow Beng, 35, said it got him worried when his 10-month-old daughter caught bronchitis at a childcare centre and had to be warded for two days.
He has since switched to using a babysitter. 'Viruses spread faster at a childcare centre. My daughter kept falling ill, so it's better for her to be on her own.'
However, the costs of these services can add up.
Each semester, Madam Tan pays about $800 to Gracefields Kindergarten on Sunset Way at which she enrolled her 3 1/2-year-old son. She pays a nanny $600 a month to babysit her six-month-old daughter, and $288 a month for housekeeping services.
But Singaporeans acknowledge their value.
'It's really worth it because I don't feel comfortable leaving my kids with the maid,' Madam Tan said.
Mrs Sparkles' owner, Ms Wynne Chia, said: 'We can customise the type of services to clients' requirements. Say, if client is going away, we allow him to stop our service for a while or he may leave his house keys with us so we can continue our services.'
Help for the family
HOUSEKEEPING
Aunt Victoria Sparkles & Cleans Basic cleaning without ironing - $210 a month, once a week, four times a month, three hours per session. Tel: 6883-2771
Mrs Sparkles Standard package without ironing - $250 a month, once a week, four times a month, four hours per session. Tel: 6298-2923
Homemaker Cleaning Service Standard package with ironing - $280 a month, once a week, four times a month, four hours per session. Tel: 6273-6927
CHILD CARE
NTUC Childcare Half-day programme for children 18 months to three years old - $310 to $380 a month (before $75 government subsidy). Full-day programme - $450 to $550 (before $150 government subsidy).
BABYSITTING
Family Day Care Services The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports has this scheme to match babysitters to parents. Trained babysitters charge $500 to $650 monthly for full-day care.
ELDER CARE
WeCare4U Family Services It has experienced and trained carers to provide home services like bathing, counselling and cooking for the elderly, as well as other services, such as escorting the elderly to and from hospitals or day-care centres for their appointments.
Rates depend on the elderly person's medical conditions and the services required. For details, log on to wecare-4u.com
