Singapore announces S$70,000 child support package and expanded leave

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced a comprehensive suite of new measures to support families in Singapore, including the introduction of the SG Child Support Package. Under this new framework, every Singaporean child is expected to receive nearly S$70,000 in direct financial support from birth to age 17.

The package includes a S$10,000 cash baby gift, annual S$2,000 Child Credits from ages 1 to 16, a S$5,000 Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant, government co-matching of CDA funds, and a S$10,000 top-up to the Post-Secondary Education Account when the child turns 17. This initiative aims to replace existing schemes like the Baby Bonus and Large Families Scheme to provide more sustained and simplified assistance.

In addition to financial aid, the government is revising childcare leave policies. Working parents will now be entitled to more leave based on the number of children they have: eight days for one child, 10 days for two children, and 12 days for three or more children, provided the children are aged 12 or below. To ease the burden on employers, the government will cover the cost of all statutory child-related leave up to a specified reimbursement limit.

Further measures include plans to lower monthly fees at government-supported preschools to S$150 and infant care to S$300 by 2030.