SINGAPORE - Funding for day activity centres that provide care and skills training for adults with disabilities has been increased by 20 per cent, or about $3 million, a year.

The funding increase - in October last year - will allow the centres to hire more care staff to increase their quality of care and service standards, especially for those with higher support needs, said Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua.

The Government is studying the longer-term demand for these centres in areas where it is higher than the number of places available.

It will also look into setting up new centres in areas where demand is expected to exceed the current supply.

Mr Chua was responding to Ms Cheryl Chan (East Coast GRC), who asked if day activity centres can cope with demand in the next five years, and whether there are plans to cut waiting times for enrolment.

There are 31 day activity centres as at April, said Mr Chua, with about 1,700 places in total.

About 78 per cent of places at these centres, which are funded by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), have been filled.

There are eight centres with no vacancies.

When someone applies to a centre with no vacancies, SG Enable - an agency that provides services for people with disabilities - will refer caregivers to other centres with spare capacity.

It will also explore alternative support services with caregivers, such as home-based services, and respite services for caregivers, said Mr Chua.

He added that MSF would continually monitor and review funding support and programmes to meet the needs of people with disabilities and their caregivers.

Mr Chua also responded to a question from Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC), on whether a ban on visitors to pre-schools, including parents and parents of newly enrolled children, is still in place.

He said the Early Childhood Development Agency has eased rules in line with the nationwide stance on Covid-19 safe distancing measures.

From April 26, parents have been able to enter pre-school premises to attend parent-teacher conferences or as volunteers, he said. Prospective parents may also enter the pre-school to tour the premises.

Restrictions on casual visitors remain, given that pre-school children are largely ineligible for vaccination, Mr Chua added.