From January next year, the Government will be providing subsidies of up to 80 per cent for caregivers who put their disabled family members at day activity centres on a part-time basis, or less than four days a week.

Currently, the Government only provides subsidies for those who are at the centres full-time.

This was announced by Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing on Thursday at the official opening of a new day activity centre at Block 267 Tampines Street 21. Mr Chan said that this will provide "affordable and accessible" care for the disabled, and their family members will get some time to rest from whom they are caring for.

The new centre, which is run by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore, provides full-time and part-time care services and skills training for the disabled. It caters to those aged between 16 and 55 years and is open on the weekdays from 9am to 4.30pm. It costs $400 a month without subsidies for full-time clients. The centre is part of the Enabling Masterplan 2012-2016 which charts the development of programmes and services for the disabled here.