In a bid to bolster support for families and address declining birth rates, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has unveiled a comprehensive package of government assistance. The new measures are designed to enhance childcare leave, increase financial aid, lower preschool fees, and improve access to public housing, all aimed at encouraging marriage and parenthood in the city-state.
Significantly, the initiative provides working parents with 8 to 12 days of childcare leave annually, tailored to the number of children they have under the age of 12. Additionally, each Singaporean child will receive nearly S$70,000 in direct financial support from birth until the age of 17, reinforcing the government’s commitment to sustained family support.
Alongside these measures, the plan includes a substantial reduction in childcare costs, with full-day childcare fees set to drop to S$150 per month by the year 2030. Infant-care fees are also slated for reduction, easing the financial burden on young families. In terms of housing, the income ceiling for eligibility for Build-to-Order (BTO) flats will rise to S$16,000, while the cap for executive condominiums will increase to S$18,000. First-time families will benefit from an additional ballot chance for each child they have or are expecting.
The broad spectrum of initiatives forms part of Singapore’s response to its record low total fertility rate of 0.87 in 2025. By implementing these measures, Wong emphasized the government’s intention to provide continuous and consistent support to families throughout the child-rearing process, rather than focusing assistance predominantly around the time of childbirth.