DESPITE reports that Singapore is on the verge of a hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak, some parents say it is unlikely that they would pull out their children from childcare centres anytime soon.

Parents who spoke to my paper yesterday said they trusted the centres to do the necessary checks on children, keep their premises clean and inform them of any new cases.

Several centres contacted yesterday also said it will be business as usual this week, and that no parents have pulled out their children so far.

The Straits Times reported last Saturday that 553 people came down with HFMD two weeks ago, just 12 fewer than the Health Ministry's official "epidemic level".

However, property consultant Noel Chan, 23, said she will continue to send her daughter, Lewayne - who turns three in November - to the Kinderland childcare centre in Marine Parade.

Said Ms Chan: "I am concerned, but I won't take her out because I believe the centre is quite good in handling HFMD cases. I don't see the need to keep her at home and not let her go out. That's too much."

Civil servant H.Y. Chen, 33, sends his five-year-old daughter, Erin, to a childcare centre in Toa Payoh, and receives circulars and e-mail messages on how many cases there are, and what steps have been taken to clean up.

He said: "There is no need to pull her out now, because there have been no cases. But if the numbers go up, I will consider it."

Housewife Lynette Yeo, 26, was unfortunate to have her elder son, seven-year-old Justine, contract HFMD twice from separate centres, when he was two and four years old respectively. But she does not blame the centres for her son's illness.

In fact, she recommended the second centre to her sister, whose daughter is now there.

Ms Yeo described the teachers as having been very responsible and informative, doing their best to pre-empt parents' fears.

She added: "It's not that the centre did not check, but rather that some of the children could have caught the disease somewhere else."

Childcare centres, meanwhile, said they would continue to carry out strict checks on children - such as taking their temperatures frequently, checking their hands and feet before they enter - on top of other measures such as disinfecting toys.

Said Mr Dan Lee, director of Academy Kidz, an infantcare and childcare centre in Marine Parade: "When children return from their holidays, we ask where they went.

"We also keep an eye out for children with unusual behaviour, and place them in quarantine if need be."

He added: "There's cooperation between parents and the school, so they feel safe taking their kids here, despite the inconvenience caused by our stringent measures."

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