NDR 2026: Five key changes S’pore families need to know at a glance

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SINGAPORE – More childcare leave and financial support, along with lower pre-school fees, are among the Government’s new sweeteners for marriage and parenthood.

The enhancements, announced in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s speech at the National Day Rally 2026, “constitute fundamental shifts” in state support for this area, said the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) within the Prime Minister’s Office.

Current support centres around a child’s early years, while the new measures offer more sustained support throughout their growing years, said the NPTD.

Here are the five key announcements families need to know:

1. More childcare leave for working parents

Each working parent with Singaporean children aged 12 and below will get eight days of childcare leave annually for one child, 10 days for two children, and 12 days for three or more children.

Currently, each parent has a six-day childcare leave entitlement when their youngest child is aged six and below. This drops to two days when their youngest child goes to primary school – regardless of how many children they have.

The Government will also reimburse employers for the full duration of all child-related leave, up to the reimbursement cap, to support workplaces in building work-life balance. Self-employed people can claim compensation for income lost during these leave schemes.

The start date of the new childcare leave scheme will be announced subsequently.

2. No more tiered Baby Bonus, but every child gets more money

Every Singaporean child born on or after April 1, 2027, will get a $10,000 Baby Gift in cash and $32,000 in Child Credits regardless of birth order – under the new SG Child Support Package.

This will replace the existing Baby Bonus Scheme, which includes a cash gift of $11,000 for the first and second child each, and $13,000 for the third child and beyond.

For children born before April 1, 2027 and are still receiving the Baby Bonus Cash Gift payouts, they will continue receiving these payouts till March 31, 2027. If the total amount received is less than $10,000, they will receive a top-up by April 30, 2027, to bring it to $10,000.

The new Child Credits will also apply to Singaporean children aged 16 and below in 2026. It will provide $2,000 annually on their birthdays, starting from their age in 2026 and in subsequent years. This cash can be used for any purpose.

Families with three or more children will no longer get the additional $5,000 Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant and $6,000 Large Family LifeSG Credits, as these will be discontinued.

But these large families are still getting more money in total with the Child Credits and other benefits.

3. Updates to government-supported savings accounts

The CDA is an account with funds that can be used only to support a child’s education and healthcare needs. It has an initial $5,000 grant. Then, for every dollar deposited into the CDA, the Government will co-match up to a cap.

For children born on or after Jan 1, 2015, their CDAs will now remain open until the end of their 16th year, instead of closing when they turn 12, to give parents a longer period to benefit from government co-matching.

From Oct 1, 2027, the co-matching amount for the CDA and Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) will be capped at $5,000, regardless of birth order. Current caps range between $4,000 for the first child and $15,000 for the fifth child.

Existing caps will remain in effect until Sept 30, 2027, to give families more time to build up their savings. This applies to children turning one to 18 in 2027, or born in 2027 before the new cap kicks in.

When the child turns 17, the Government will provide a further $10,000 top-up to his or her PSEA to help defray the cost of higher education.

4. Lower childcare and infant care fees

Full-day childcare fees at government-supported centres will eventually be reduced to $150 a month, while full-day infant care fees will be reduced to $300 before means testing – less than half of today’s fees.

Currently, full-day childcare costs $365 per month, while full-day infant care costs $746 for working parents whose children attend anchor operators such as PCF Sparkletots and NTUC First Campus’ My First Skool.

The fee cuts will be rolled out progressively from 2028, with the target fee levels expected to be reached by 2030.

Non-working parents will also eventually get full childcare and infant care subsidies for their Singaporean children, which are currently available only for working parents. More details will be announced in early 2027.

5. More transport and housing support for families

First-time families with or expecting children will get one additional ballot chance for each Singaporean child aged 18 and below when applying for Build-To-Order and Sale of Balance Flats, starting from the February 2027 sales exercise.

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 studying how to reposition and extend the $5,000 Large Family MediSave Grant to large families that have not received it.

The Ministry of Transport will provide additional support to help large families manage transport costs, while the Ministry of National Development is studying additional housing support measures.