Put your name down at nurseries and playgroups
Centre-based care for babies is scarce. The Social Welfare Department's day child care service covers children from birth to under 3, and fees at registered centres have to be approved by the SWD; the one fee the SWD does publish is for occasional child care, at HK$64 for a full-day session. Checked against swd.gov.hk on 22 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
- 22 September 2026
What else to know
Beyond that no official page states what a place costs or how long the waits are. Paperbump's estimate, not an official figure: 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, which is why families register during pregnancy. 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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