Put your name down at nurseries and playgroups
Centre-based care for babies under 2 is scarce. The government-registered child care centres for under-threes are few and mostly Cantonese-medium; the English-language private nurseries in the expat districts charge roughly HK$8,000 to HK$20,000 a month for full days and keep waiting lists, so families register in pregnancy. Checked against swd.gov.hk on 21 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- Everyone having a baby in Hong Kong
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this usually between week 22 and week 26 of the pregnancy
- Official source
- swd.gov.hk
- Last checked
- 21 September 2026
What else to know
If a nursery rather than a helper is the plan, visit two or three now and put the deposit down on the one you want.
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