Singapore's New Family Support Measures: 5 Key Takeaways From NDR 2026

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Singapore is expanding financial assistance, childcare leave, preschool subsidies and housing and transport support for families as the government seeks to make raising children more affordable and sustainable.

The measures were announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, August 23. The National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) under the Prime Minister's Office described the changes as “fundamental shifts” in the government's support for marriage and parenthood.

Singapore's existing family support measures have largely focused on a child's early years. The new measures are designed to provide more sustained assistance as children grow, NPTD said.

5 Key Takeaways From NDR 2026’s Family Support Measures

Here are five key changes Singaporean families need to know, as reported by The Strait Times.

1. More Childcare Leave for Working Parents

Working parents with Singaporean children aged 12 and below will receive more annual childcare leave.

Each parent will be entitled to eight days of childcare leave a year for one child, 10 days for two children, and 12 days for three or more children.

Currently, each parent is entitled to six days of childcare leave when their youngest child is six or younger. The entitlement falls to two days once their youngest child enters primary school, regardless of how many children they have.

The government will also reimburse employers for the full duration of all child-related leave, subject to the reimbursement cap, to encourage workplaces to better support work-life balance.

Self-employed workers will be able to claim compensation for income lost while taking these leave schemes.

The start date for the new childcare leave scheme will be announced later.

2. Baby Bonus to Be Replaced With Uniform Support

Singapore will replace its tiered Baby Bonus Scheme with a new support package that provides the same amount of financial assistance to every child regardless of birth order.

Every Singaporean child born on or after April 1, 2027, will receive S$10,000 in cash under the Baby Gift and S$32,000 in Child Credits as part of the new SG Child Support Package.

This will replace the existing Baby Bonus Scheme, which provides a cash gift of S$11,000 for each of the first two children and S$13,000 for the third child and subsequent children.

Children born before April 1, 2027, who are still receiving Baby Bonus Cash Gift payments will continue to receive them until March 31, 2027. If the total amount they have received is less than S$10,000, the government will provide a top-up by April 30, 2027, bringing the total to S$10,000.

The new Child Credits will also be extended to Singaporean children aged 16 and below in 2026. They will receive S$2,000 annually on their birthdays, starting from their age in 2026 and continuing in subsequent years. The money can be used for any purpose.

However, families with three or more children will no longer receive the additional S$5,000 Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant or S$6,000 in Large Family LifeSG Credits, as both benefits will be discontinued.

The government said larger families will still receive more financial support overall through the new Child Credits and other benefits.

3. Changes to Government-Supported Savings Accounts

The Child Development Account, or CDA, is a government-supported savings account whose funds can be used for a child's education and healthcare expenses. It comes with an initial government grant of S$5,000, followed by government co-matching of parents' deposits up to a specified limit.

For children born on or after January 1, 2015, their CDAs will remain open until the end of their 16th year, rather than closing when they turn 12. The extension will give parents more time to benefit from government co-matching.

From October 1, 2027, the government co-matching amount for the CDA and Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) will be capped at S$5,000, regardless of birth order.

The current caps range from S$4,000 for a first child to S$15,000 for a fifth child. Existing caps will remain in place until September 30, 2027, giving families more time to build their savings.

The existing arrangements will apply to children who turn one to 18 in 2027, as well as those born in 2027 before the new cap takes effect.

When a child turns 17, the government will provide an additional S$10,000 top-up to their PSEA to help cover the cost of higher education.

4. Childcare and Infant Care Fees to Fall

Singapore also plans to significantly reduce childcare and infant care fees at government-supported centers.

Full-day childcare fees will eventually fall to S$150 a month, while full-day infant care fees will be reduced to S$300 before means testing. The target rates are less than half of current fees.

At present, full-day childcare costs S$365 a month, while full-day infant care costs S$746 for working parents whose children attend centers run by government-supported anchor operators, such as PCF Sparkletots and NTUC First Campus' My First Skool.

The fee reductions will be introduced progressively from 2028, with the target rates expected to be reached by 2030.

Non-working parents will also eventually be eligible for full childcare and infant care subsidies for their Singaporean children. These subsidies are currently available only to working parents.

The government will announce more details on the expanded subsidies in early 2027.

5. More Housing and Transport Support

Families who are expecting a child or have a child and are applying for a new public housing flat will receive additional opportunities in Singapore's housing ballot.

Starting with the February 2027 sales exercise, first-time families with or expecting a child will receive one additional ballot chance for each Singaporean child aged 18 or below when applying for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and Sale of Balance Flats.

BTO flats are new public housing units built and sold by Singapore's Housing and Development Board, while Sale of Balance Flats are units remaining from earlier housing sales exercises.

Families with three or more children will continue to receive additional support on top of the SG Child Support Package in areas where they are likely to face higher costs.

The government is also studying how to extend the S$5,000 Large Family MediSave Grant to large families that have not previously received it.

The Ministry of Transport will provide additional assistance to help larger families manage transportation costs, while the Ministry of National Development is studying further measures to support their housing needs.