Singapore has announced a major financial support package that could provide eligible families with nearly N94 million in government benefits for each child from birth until age 17.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled the new SG Child Support Package during his National Day Rally speech on August 23, as the government intensifies efforts to support families and address the country’s declining birth rate.
The new package is valued at S$62,000, while the total benefits available to each child, when combined with existing government support, will rise to about S$70,000.
The package includes a S$10,000 cash Baby Gift, S$32,000 in Child Credits, a S$5,000 Child Development Account (CDA) grant, up to S$5,000 in government CDA co-matching and a S$10,000 top-up to the child’s Post-Secondary Education Account.
Wong said: “The work is still ongoing. We are aiming for more than incremental improvements or changes to individual schemes. We want to make a fundamental shift in how we support families.”
Existing benefits, including a S$5,000 MediSave Grant for Newborns and annual Edusave contributions, will push the total government support to approximately S$70,000 per child.
That represents a significant increase from the current benefits of between S$27,500 and S$56,500, depending on the child’s birth order.
Wong said the revamped system was designed to make government assistance easier for parents to understand while ensuring children receive more equal support.
“The schemes have become quite complex, and many parents find it hard to understand.”
“We will make things simpler. Every child will receive the same level of support. We will provide more support not just at birth but throughout the years, as children grow up,” he said.
The government expects the new measures to benefit more than 610,000 children across approximately 380,000 households.
Under the new arrangement, the S$10,000 Baby Gift will be paid in two instalments during the first year after a child’s birth.
The S$32,000 Child Credits will then provide S$2,000 annually from the child’s first birthday until the age of 16.
When the child turns 17, the government will provide an additional S$10,000 top-up to the child’s education account.
The package forms part of Singapore’s broader strategy to encourage childbirth as the city-state grapples with a declining birth rate and seeks to strengthen support for families.
Wong said: “We are putting real resources behind all of these plans because supporting families and Singaporeans through every stage of life is a national priority.”
