NDR 2026: Every Singaporean child to get nearly S$70,000 in direct financial support from birth to age 17
This includes a S$62,000 package, as well as some existing measures
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[SINGAPORE] Every Singaporean child will get nearly S$70,000 in direct financial support from birth to age 17, including up to S$62,000 under a new package that will replace several existing schemes, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced during the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 23).
Currently, support is mostly provided when a child is born, and varies based on their birth order. “The schemes have become quite complex, and many parents find it hard to understand,” he said.
To simplify, the government is introducing a new SG Child Support Package. This will provide up to S$62,000 to every Singapore citizen child, the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a separate statement.
The package comprises five parts.
First, a S$10,000 Baby Gift in cash will be disbursed in two tranches within 12 months of a child’s birth.
Second, S$32,000 in Child Credits will be distributed in cash, made up of annual S$2,000 disbursements over 16 years. These will be provided from the year the child turns one to the year the child turns 16, to offer sustained help as the child grows.
Third, the government will give out an initial S$5,000 Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant.
Fourth, each child will receive up to S$5,000 in government co-matching of CDA. The CDA will also be extended to the end of the year the child turns 16, instead of 12 today. This will give parents more time to benefit from the dollar-to-dollar matching and use the funds for approved child-raising expenses.
Finally, the government will make a S$10,000 top-up to the child’s Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) in the year they turn 17, defraying the costs of higher education.
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In place of the Baby Bonus Scheme and Large Families Scheme, the package will provide stronger and more sustained support from birth through the growing years, NPTD said.
It will be extended to all existing Singapore citizen children born in or turning 1 to 17 in 2026, who will receive benefits based on their corresponding age in 2026 and in subsequent years.
According to PMO, more than 610,000 children across 380,000 households are expected to benefit from the measures. These are households with at least one Singapore citizen child aged 17 and below, as at June 2026, it said.
Children will receive the disbursements under the new package from 2027. Parents will receive details of the payments they will be eligible for at a later date.
The package will complement existing support, including the S$5,000 Medisave Grant for Newborns at birth and annual Edusave contributions across primary and secondary school, which add up to around S$2,500.
Taken together, each Singapore citizen child should receive up to S$69,500 of direct financial support from birth to age 17.
PM Wong added: “Because every child receives the same support, families with more children will naturally receive more support overall.”
Large families with three or more children will continue to receive additional help on top of the SG Child Support Package, in areas where they are likely to face higher costs, such as for healthcare, transport and housing.
Pre-school subsidies
Beyond direct handouts, PM Wong also noted the importance of addressing pre-school and care arrangements, in supporting families.
“We want every Singaporean child to have access to quality pre-school at fees that families can comfortably afford,” he said.
Therefore, at government-supported centres, full-day childcare fees will be cut to S$150 a month, and infant care fees will be reduced to S$300 a month.
These will be implemented progressively, with the target fees to be achieved by 2030.
Fees currently range from S$365 to S$709 for full-day childcare, and S$746 to S$1,406 for full-day infant care, depending on the type of operator and subsidies they are eligible for.
The reduced fees will apply to every Singaporean child regardless of household income, with lower-income families continuing to receive additional subsidies and paying less.
NPTD added that full childcare and infant-care subsidies will be extended to families with children who have Singapore citizenship, regardless of the subsidy applicant’s working status, and that the network of government-supported preschool operators will be expanded.
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