Masagos Zulkifli B M M
Singapore
“Coordination between Early Intervention (EI) centres, families and preschools is important for the continuity of support for children with developmental needs.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are unable to take public transport, by providing means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel to school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) guides social service agencies (SSAs) to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration and maintain the sector's attractiveness. The Guidelines are adjusted so that salaries remain competitive with comparable roles in competing markets.”
“Staff turnover rates vary across social service agencies (SSAs). An individual's decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one.”
“Beyond the requirement of a structured daily programme, community-based SCFA administrators have the flexibility to offer programmes and additional enrichment activities that meet the needs of their students. MSF does not track staff salaries and turnover of SCCs in general nor those that administer SCFA.”
“Male preschool educators comprised about 1% of the early childhood workforce in each of the last five years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has not issued guidelines pertaining to the rules set by preschool centres specific to the conduct of male preschool educators.”
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“The Ministry for Social and Family Development (MSF) sets minimum requirements for staff-to-child ratio for preschools and student care centres to ensure the safety and well-being of children. Preschools must ensure that they have sufficient staff deployed to care for children in accordance with the ratios as stipulated in the Regulations for the different programme levels. This ranges from one qualified programme staff to five infants at the infant care level, to 25 children at the kindergarten 2 level. MSF-registered student care centres that administer the Student Care Fee Assistance are also required to abide by a programme staff-to-student ratio of at least one staff to 25 students. Preschools and student care centres have the operational flexibility to respond to the varied needs and demands on the ground. The centres can and do operate with more than the minimum staff requirement, in accordance with the respective centres' programming objectives and available manpower.”
“For birth cohorts which turned 12 between 2020 and 2024, the median Child Development Account (CDA) balance at age seven was about $600. About 97% of all CDA expenditure for these five cohorts took place when the child was below age seven and almost all (93%) of such CDA monies used were for preschool expenses. Between ages seven and 12, the CDA monies were mostly used for healthcare-related expenses or for siblings' preschool expenses. For the child's primary school learning needs, parents can tap on the child's Edusave account, which can be used for miscellaneous fees and approved school enrichment programmes. Parents may also choose to save the CDA monies, which are transferred to the child's Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) at the end of age 12, for the child's post-secondary educational expenses. The Government will continue to review the CDA usage to ensure that it remains relevant and can meet parents' needs for their children's development.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) closely monitors the current and projected demand for childcare across Planning Areas and localised areas in Singapore. For the latter, we take into consideration factors, such as population size, demographics, enrolment trends and existing preschool supply. ECDA then works closely with the Housing Development Board to develop new preschools in tandem with new Built-to-Order housing developments. We also work with the Urban Redevelopment Authority to set aside space for preschools in private housing developments through the Government Land Sales programme. Where additional capacity is required to meet demand, ECDA also facilitates the development of preschools in atypical sites, such as co-located integrated developments, and by retrofitting disused State properties. Changi, within the Pasir Ris-Changi group representation constituency, falls within the Pasir Ris Planning Area. As of September 2025, there are 45 childcare centres in the Pasir Ris Planning Area, providing about 400 infant care places and 5,490 childcare places. These places have not been fully subscribed, with about 65% and 70% of infant care and childcare places respectively taken up.”
“For example, the adoption process includes the verification of the child's identity papers, travel documents and conducting checks with birth parents to ensure they have given valid consent and have not offered the child for adoption for improper financial or material gain. These measures, together with our criminal laws, work in tandem to prevent and deter the various forms of child trafficking. Our partnership with ASEAN partners and our Government agencies has worked well to combat child trafficking as a whole. If there are allegations of trafficking, Singapore will render the necessary assistance within the ambit of our laws.”
“Child trafficking refers to the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a child for the purpose of exploitation. This includes instances of the child entering into Singapore under false pretences and the unlawful transfer of the child for valuable consideration. Beyond adoption, such transfers could also be for the purpose of sexual exploitation or child labour. ASEAN member states have established and adopted regional frameworks to protect against child trafficking in general, and in relation to adoption. These include the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children from 2016 to 2025. This Regional Plan of Action includes measures to establish extraterritorial jurisdiction for offences and transnational crimes related to the trafficking and sale of children. Such acts are criminalised under the Adoption of Children Act, Children and Young Persons Act, Penal Code, Prevention of Human Trafficking Act and the Women's Charter. In addition, the 2015 ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children sets out the objectives and obligations of ASEAN member states for tackling child trafficking through a "4Ps" approach – prevention, prosecution, protection and partnership. Inter-country adoption involves bringing a child into Singapore with the goal of finding the child a permanent home with his or her adopted parents. Our laws and adoption process do not just target child trafficking but also has various proactive safeguards and measures in place.”
“Investigations for recent gastroenteritis cases at preschools are ongoing. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is monitoring the situation and working with relevant preschool operators to ensure the well-being of children and staff. ECDA and the Singapore Food Agency has issued a joint advisory to remind preschools to exercise vigilance to minimise the risk of gastroenteritis in preschools. Besides conducting daily temperature and health checks for all children, staff and visitors upon arrival, preschools must also follow clear guidelines on the management of infectious diseases if there are suspected or known cases among children, staff or parents. This includes notifying ECDA and complying with disinfection guidelines to limit the spread of disease. Preschools must also adhere to health and hygiene requirements in the Early Childhood Development Centres Regulations and Code of Practice. This includes ensuring that premises are well-ventilated and clean, and that there are proper procedures for food preparation and storage. To ensure that preschools maintain high standards of hygiene, ECDA conducts unannounced visits to preschools as part of its licensing regime. ECDA's officers will assess preschools' measures and processes to safeguard child health and safety. ECDA will take the necessary regulatory actions against non-compliant preschools, which could include warnings and financial penalties.”
“The gambling addiction rate in Singapore has remained low and stable. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) conducts the Survey on Participation in Gambling Activities among Singapore Residents to assess the extent and pattern of gambling among adult Singapore residents and ascertain the prevalence of problem gambling. Based on the last three surveys in 2017, 2020 and 2023, the overall probable pathological and problem gambling or gambling addiction rate has remained low and stable at about 1% of the local resident population aged 18 and above. The exclusion regime is a social safeguard put in place for riskier gambling products, such as casinos, gaming machine rooms and Singapore Pools remote gambling. These are riskier because casinos and gaming machine rooms allow for continuous play, whilst remote gambling makes it easier to access gambling from anywhere. Individuals are thus required to provide identification prior to entering casinos or gaming machine rooms or opening a Singapore Pools remote gambling account. The exclusion regime does not apply to Singapore Pools' physical outlets because lottery purchases at physical outlets pose lower risks. Consequently, individuals are not required to provide identification for lottery purchases at these outlets. This is reflective of our overall approach that recognises that there will always be some level of gambling, while ensuring that problem gambling remains under control. We will continue to maintain the balance between allowing limited gambling in a controlled environment and protecting individuals, families and society from the harms of problem gambling through our social safeguards.”
“In the past five years, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) identified about 1,600 unauthorised Child Development Account (CDA) transactions at optical shops and retail pharmacies. MSF has sought refunds for the unauthorised transaction amounts to be returned to the children's CDA. Where the misuse of CDA moneys was egregious, with suspected fraudulent and criminal intent, MSF reported such cases to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD). Given the high risk of misuse of CDA monies at optical shops and retail pharmacies, feedback from merchants on the challenges of implementing effective point-of-sales checks in retail environments and the very low usage of CDA at these establishments, MSF will discontinue CDA usage at retail pharmacies and optical shops from 1 January 2026. Parents can tap on other Government support schemes, such as the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and Child LifeSG Credits, for purchases at these establishments. Lower-income families who require financial support can approach the Social Service Offices for assistance.”
“NCSS recently published the first Youth Development Outcomes Report that compared the efficacy of nine different youth programmes, which demonstrated the importance of programme fidelity in achieving outcomes.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) monitors outcomes at both the macro and programme level. At the macro level, we analyse key population outcomes, such as social mobility trends, marriage and cohort dissolution rates, and preschool cohort enrolment rate, to ensure progress in our social outcomes. At the programme level, we monitor various key performance indicators, ranging from process, output, to outcome indicators, to ensure that programme objectives are met. This also includes reviewing if our programmes effectively reach clients who require the support. Certain programmes are also subject to more rigorous evaluation, using appropriate research methodologies. For example, MSF had partnered the Centre for Evidence and Implementation to conduct an evaluation study of KidSTART. The study found that parents and caregivers who received KidSTART home visitation had more positive, quality parent-child interactions and were more confident to support their children's development. KidSTART children also showed improved child development outcomes and more prosocial behaviours by three years old. These findings, which were made public at the 2024 Asian Family Conference organised by MSF, contributed to the policy decision to scale KidSTART nationwide, as well as programme refinements. To enhance outcome measurement and reporting in the social service sector, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) launched the Sector Evaluation Framework in 2021. The framework provides a common language for different stakeholders in the sector to measure programme outcomes, track progress of service users and articulate impact.”
“There have been eight investigations conducted into gastroenteritis outbreaks in preschools in the past nine months, which may be viral or foodborne. The Early Childhood Development Agency does not monitor the number of food poisoning cases by scheme. All preschools, regardless of schemes, must adhere to health and hygiene requirements specified in the Early Childhood Development Centres Regulations and Code of Practice. This includes disinfection of contaminated surfaces and monitoring of symptoms in the event of suspected or known gastroenteritis cases. This helps to safeguard children's health and limit the impact of a gastroenteritis outbreak in preschools.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency does not track the breakdown of food provision arrangements in preschools. All preschools, regardless of food provision arrangements, must adhere to meals and food hygiene requirements specified in the Early Childhood Development Centres Regulations and Code of Practice. This includes ensuring that food premises are clean and pest-free, and implementing proper procedures for food storage.”
“These benefits include subsidies for education, healthcare, childcare and infant care, as well as the migrant domestic worker levy concession. Single unwed parents do not need to adopt their own children to qualify for these Government benefits.”
“A non-marital birth refers to a child born to parents who are not legally married to each other at the time of the child's birth. Under the Legitimacy Act 1934, a child of a non-marital birth is not considered legitimate, unless the parents subsequently marry each other or the child is adopted. From 2020 to 2024, there were, on average, about 745 non-marital live births per year to Singapore citizen mothers in Singapore. Of the non-marital live births from 2020 to 2024, 12 children were subsequently adopted by their biological parents within the same period. As part of the adoption proceedings, the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) Guardian-in-Adoption conducts social investigations to assess the safety and well-being of the child within the prospective adoptive family. The duration of the social investigation is typically about nine months, provided there are no complicating factors. Every child, regardless of their parents' marital status, deserves to be valued, supported and given equal opportunities to thrive. The Government recognises that children of single unwed parents may face stigma and is committed to fostering an inclusive and caring society. In schools, through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) Curriculum, students learn empathy and respect for all, regardless of their family backgrounds. Our teachers nurture a caring and enabling school environment and are sensitive to the socio-emotional needs of all children, including those who require additional support because of their family circumstances. The Government also does not differentiate benefits that support Singapore Citizen children's growth and development based on their parents' marital status.”
“As of end-September 2025, the Ministry of Social and Family Development is providing ComLink+ support to about 1,000 families not staying in public rental flats. Over the next two years, we aim to support approximately 2,000 more such families.”
“The Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) provides means-tested subsidies to persons with disabilities to purchase assistive devices for independent living. ATF applicants are guided to first approach an ATF touchpoint, where an assessor who is a healthcare professional evaluates and prescribes suitable devices based on the applicant's circumstances. The assessor also guides the applicant on how to use the device appropriately. Thereafter, the assessor or a social worker will submit the ATF application to SG Enable on behalf of the client for the recommended device. However, the ATF touchpoint may also decide that there is no need for an assessor to conduct a detailed assessment, if the applicant requires just basic devices. Although there have not been any ATF applications for tracking devices, there is a simplified process for basic devices in place. The applications for ATF are assessed based on the applicant's circumstances, that is, whether the devices applied for directly supports the applicant in purposes of early intervention, education, employment, therapy, rehabilitation and/or independent living, regardless of the cost of the assistive devices.”
“More than 80% of infants enrolled in the Early Childhood Development Agency's Childminding Pilot for Infants utilise the full-day service, while almost all infants are enrolled in full-day centre-based infant care. Of all families enrolled, more than 80% have used their child's Child Development Account monies to defray the cost of childminding services under this pilot.”
“As the fees charged under the childminding pilot are not means-tested, the Early Childhood Development Agency does not collect income information from parents utilising these services.”
“The staff-to-children ratio requirements for Ministry of Education-run kindergartens and Government-supported preschools are minimum requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of children. In practice, kindergartens and preschools can and do operate with more staff than required. Improving the well-being of early childhood educators goes beyond improving the staff-to-children ratio. The Ministry of Social and Family Development has shared the various measures by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to improve educators' well-being and working conditions, in a reply to an earlier Parliamentary Question on 2 July 2024. [Please refer to "Child Abuse Cases in Preschools and Teacher Support Measures Identified", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions section.] Measures included removing the requirement for childcare centres to operate on Saturdays from January 2025 and designating Teachers' Day and Children's Day as preschool holidays, on top of six Development Days from 2024 onwards. Since October 2024, ECDA has also appointed relief staff service providers for preschools to tap on, to enable educators to take time off to attend to their personal and professional needs. ECDA has also introduced various initiatives to better support the professional development of our early childhood educators. Educators and leaders may continue to deepen their skills and competencies and benefit from improved career progression through various available professional development opportunities, such as the Professional Development Programmes and Continuing Professional Development courses, to allow them to have more meaningful careers in the sector.”
“In general, the Courts consider various principles such as rehabilitation, deterrence, prevention and retribution, based on factors such as the severity of the offence, the youths' level of maturity and their risk of reoffending. Youths who commit serious offences may be placed on probation or admitted to a youth home, where they undergo structured programmes that combine discipline with education and therapy. Youths who display unruly behaviour or require a higher level of supervision in a more structured environment, may be sent for Reformative Training or may be imprisoned. As part of their rehabilitation programme, youth offenders participate in programmes tailored to their risks and needs. This includes interventions that build emotional regulation, decision-making and prosocial skills, as well as programmes that strengthen family relationships and positive peer support. Probation officers, social workers and youth home staff work closely with families, schools and community partners to create supportive environments that help sustain the youths' progress after release. The youth offending rate has remained low, at an average of 5.2 per 1,000 youths from 2019 to 2023. Two-year recidivism rates also remained below 10% from the 2019 cohort to the 2021 cohort. The Ministry of Social and Family Development will continue to collaborate with Government agencies, youth offenders, their families and community partners to keep the offending and reoffending rates low.”
“There are also no immediate plans to make further changes, including Member's suggestion to provide for an expedited process for child access disputes at this point, in view of the recent enhancements. The Ministry of Social and Family Development will continue to monitor the situation to assess if further enhancements are needed.”
“For child access disputes, including situations where one parent unilaterally withholds or removes a child from the other, parents may seek mediation or counselling to help them reach amicable resolutions. If such methods fail, parents may apply to the Family Justice Courts for child access, or to enforce an access order if there is an existing order and it has been breached. We have introduced a few changes in recent years to better support parents and children in child access issues. As an upstream intervention, since 1 July 2024, all parents with minor children who are filing for a divorce will need to attend a mandatory co-parenting programme to help them make informed decisions that prioritise their child's well-being as well as to practise cooperative parenting. There are also other programmes to help children cope with their parents' divorce, such as the Children of Divorce Intervention Programme and the Children-in-Between Programme. Enhanced measures have also been introduced for the Enforcement of Child Access Order where there has been a breach of the child access order. Firstly, the enforcement regime has been broadened to incorporate less confrontational measures including make-up access, compensation of expenses, mandatory counselling, mediation, therapeutic or educational programmes, as well as an execution of a compliance bond. Secondly, the child access enforcement process is simplified as compared to committal proceedings. Parents seeking access may choose to file an application to enforce a child access order instead of bringing contempt proceedings against the care and control parents. These changes have taken effect since 2 January 2025.”
“SG Enable is taking a sectoral approach to curate job opportunities in six key sectors that either traditionally hire or have growing potential for job opportunities suitable for persons with disabilities, namely food and beverage, retail, information and communications, health and social services, transport and storage, and financial and insurance services. In addition, SG Enable and its partners will continue working with employers to curate and support persons with disabilities to take on short-term assignments or gig jobs, as a stepping stone to build up their work stamina and experience, or as an alternative to formal employment for those who prefer more flexible work. We recognise that job coaches play an important role in providing practical advice on job redesign, accommodations and inclusive hiring practices to build an inclusive workplace environment. We will do more to uplift their capabilities. In September 2024, SG Enable launched the Job Coach Career Map to support the professional development of job coaches. SG Enable will also curate platforms such as learning journeys to companies across the six key sectors to equip job coaches with a better understanding of the job opportunities and functions of these industries. Ultimately, we need to shift towards a workplace culture where employers recognise the benefits that inclusive hiring can bring to the organisation, including more purpose-driven employees, and an innovative and learning culture.”
“Persons with disabilities may face challenges securing employment as some employers are not aware of the benefits of inclusive hiring or have limited knowledge and in-house capabilities to do so, such as providing accessible workplace and reasonable job accommodations. Persons with disabilities may also require employment support to identify job opportunities aligned to their strengths and interests, as well as additional training and job coaching to acquire the skills needed for the job and to adapt to the workplace. The Government has put in place measures over the years to support employers to strengthen inclusive employment practices. Under the Open Door Programme, employers can tap on customised employment support from trained job coaches, as well as grants to support job redesign and workshops to prepare them and their employees without disabilities to interact with, hire, integrate and retain employees with disabilities in their organisation. In addition, employers receive wage offsets through the Enabling Employment Credit. We also introduced a new Employer Development Grant from 2025 to empower employers to build up their inclusive hiring capabilities. This will enable them to scale up efforts to hire persons with disabilities and support their long-term retention. To support persons with disabilities who require more employment support and training, the Enabling Business Hub, launched by SG Enable in 2023, provides customised skills training in the logistics sector, as well as longer and more intensive job support. The Government will continue to grow and develop capabilities of inclusive employers and expand employment opportunities, through a comprehensive suite of support for inclusive hiring.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) recognises that supporting educators' well-being is crucial in enabling them to carry out their responsibilities effectively. To ease short-term manpower needs, such as when educators go on leave, ECDA has set up a relief staff pool that preschools can tap on through appointed service providers. To help streamline educators' workload, ease administrative load and enhance productivity, the Early Childhood Industry Digital Plan provides a structured framework and funding support to preschool operators to implement proven digital solutions. More information on ongoing initiatives to improve educators' well-being can be found in our reply to an earlier Parliamentary Question on 2 July 2024. [Please refer to "Child Abuse Cases in Preschools and Teacher Support Measures Identified", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions section.] ECDA will continue to work with training providers to offer Continuing Professional Development courses to equip educators with the relevant competencies and strategies for building resilience as well as developing self-care practices.”
“Children with possible developmental needs are assessed by a paediatrician to determine the level of Early Intervention (EI) support the child needs and for the child to be referred to suitable EI programmes. The Inclusive Support Programme (InSP) serves children who require medium levels of EI support and who are suited to receive EI in a preschool group setting. The placement of a child into InSP depends on factors, such as whether the InSP preschool can support the needs of the child, matching of available class types to the child's individual needs and parents' preferred location. As we are in the early stages of scaling InSP, we will continue to assess demand for the programme to ensure a healthy supply of places. Regardless, only Singaporeans and Permanent Residents are eligible for InSP places. About 600 new InSP places will be progressively added from 2026 onwards, spread over 15 to 20 preschools. This is in addition to the existing six preschools from the pilot. We will take into account the projected demand for EI services to guide the location of the new InSP places.”
“Parents who prefer half-day service may also opt for half-day childcare services offered by the childcare operators, including the AOP and POP childcare centres.”
“The Government's priority is to ensure access to affordable and quality preschools to give every child a good start in life. Today, around nine in 10 Singaporean children aged three to six are enrolled in preschool. The Ministry of Education (MOE) currently operates 56 MOE Kindergartens (MKs) and has plans to open 60 MKs by 2029 to supplement other Government-supported preschools. MKs have helped to uplift the preschool sector, by putting MOE's Nurturing Early Learners Framework into practice and sharing quality preschool teaching and learning practices with other preschool operators. MKs have also complemented sector efforts to support children from lower-income families, through priority enrolment as well as targeted attendance and learning support. Additionally, MKs have encouraged bilingualism from young by offering all three official Mother Tongue Languages. The Government also regularly calibrates our policies to be responsive to changes in the preschool landscape. In 2019, we had shared our intent to expand the Partner Operator (POP) scheme to a small number of quality kindergartens, where they would have to meet conditions to ensure accessibility, affordability and quality of care and education for children. However, we have observed falling demand for half-day kindergarten services due to growing demand for full-day care with more dual-income families over the past five years. With the changing preschool landscape, ECDA's priority is to meet the growing demand for full-day childcare, including through the POP scheme. ECDA will therefore not be extending the POP scheme to kindergartens, as there are already sufficient kindergarten places for children, including affordable kindergarten services offered by Anchor Operator (AOP) or MKs.”
“Around 60% of infants enrolled under the Early Childhood Development Agency's (ECDA's) Childminding Pilot for Infants are cared for in the childminders' home, with the other 40% of infants in the two existing community premises. To meet demand from parents and childminders, ECDA will continue to work with operators to explore more community premises. Operators work closely with parents to ensure that they are suitably matched to childminders, which can include interview sessions between parents and childminders and even visits to childminders' homes. Depending on when families require the service, as well as their needs and preferences, waiting time for a match generally ranges from a few days to a few months.”
“The discontinuation of Child Development Account (CDA) usage at retail pharmacies and optical shops follows audits that found a higher risk of misuse of CDA monies at these establishments. Although CDA usage will be discontinued at retail pharmacies, this change does not affect pharmacy departments within healthcare institutions, such as hospitals and polyclinics. The CDA can still be used for medication, surgical products and supplements that are dispensed at healthcare institutions and general practitioners (GP) clinics that are registered as Baby Bonus Approved Institutions. We will regularly review the CDA usage to ensure that it is relevant and can meet parents' needs for their child's development. In May this year, the Ministry of Social and Family Development expanded the scope of CDA use to cover preschool incidental charges to support the child’s participation in a broader range of developmental activities. This includes enrichment programmes, such as speech and drama, allowing preschoolers to fully tap on the learning opportunities offered by their preschools. In addition to the CDA, parents can tap on other Government support schemes, such as the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and Child LifeSG Credits, to defray their child-raising costs. Lower-income families who require financial support can approach the Social Service Offices for assistance.”
“Subsidies for Day Activity Centres (DACs) are means-tested based on clients' per capita household income. They are progressive, to ensure that more subsidies are directed to the lower-income. More families can also look forward to increased subsidies for long-term care services from July 2026, announced in the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Committee of Supply earlier this year. Where possible, DAC operators may also provide further financial support to help families in financial need.”
“The roles of family coaches from the Social Service Offices (SSOs) and case workers from Family Service Centres (FSCs) are clearly differentiated. FSCs support vulnerable individuals and families with higher needs and risks, such as family conflict and emotional issues. For families that are also eligible for ComLink+, FSC case workers also act as family coaches, but will prioritise addressing these needs and risks before providing other support available under ComLink+. Conversely, should families supported by SSO family coaches develop higher needs and risks, they will be referred to FSCs to address both their higher needs and risks, and also progress under ComLink+. When the families' conflicts or emotional issues have been sufficiently addressed such that they no longer require support from FSCs, they are transferred from FSCs to SSOs. There, the family coaches continue to work with them on their goals.”
“The Working Mother's Child Relief and Parenthood Tax Rebate benefits are intended to support parenthood within marriage. As such, they are not extended to single unwed parents. Similarly, the majority of the Housing and Development Board's (HDB's) new flats are set aside for families, with priority for first-timer married couples and families with young children. Nevertheless, we recognise the challenges that single unwed parents face in having to single handedly raise their children. Regardless of background and circumstances, we take a two-pronged approach to supporting single unwed parents. Firstly, benefits that support the growth and development of children are given to all Citizen children, regardless of the marital status of their parents. These include subsidies for education, healthcare, childcare, infant care, the Migrant Domestic Worker Levy Concession and the Child Development Account. Secondly, we provide targeted support to address their needs holistically. Single unwed parents who require additional support may approach social service offices for financial assistance, and family service centres for holistic case management and socio-emotional support. Similarly, single unwed parents who require housing assistance can also approach HDB, which will assess each request holistically and exercise flexibility, where appropriate, to ensure that their children have a stable home to grow up in. For example, single unwed parents aged 21 and above may be allowed to buy up to a 3-room flat from HDB, or a resale flat. Those who cannot afford to buy a flat may be considered for public rental flats.”
“The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme is for all Singaporean households, with one set of vouchers per household. For the convenience of seniors living in the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)-funded Homes, MSF is working with People’s Association (PA) and the homes to facilitate eligible senior residents to receive their CDC vouchers at nearby community centres and expect to fully implement it by October 2025. MSF will continue to work with the homes to assist residents to access benefits and support measures.”
“The ComLink+ Packages for Preschool and Employment were launched in August and December 2024 respectively. They are, therefore, in the early stages of implementation. As at end-June 2025, around 2,200 preschool-aged children are on the ComLink+ Package for Preschool. Around 1,600 families are on the Package for Employment. The packages for Home Ownership and Debt Clearance were rolled out in May and June 2025, respectively, and we are monitoring the take-up. Not all families are ready at this point to take up the packages because they are working on other priorities based on their action plans. Family coaches are monitoring and supporting families' progress and will enrol them onto the relevant packages when the families are ready. The journey for ComLink+ families towards social mobility will take time and will depend on the combined efforts of family coaches, the families themselves and community partners working together to empower them to achieve their goals. We are overseeing the implementation closely and will make adjustments as needed. We also intend to analyse the impact of the ComLink+ Progress Packages and the ComLink+ programme generally. We will provide an update in due course.”
“Individuals and families who require financial assistance can apply for ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance via the SupportGoWhere portal. Applicants who need help with their online application can call our hotline, where our call agents will walk them through the application process. For applicants who are home-bound and unable to apply online, the Social Service Offices (SSOs) will arrange for home visits. The SSO will contact the applicant within three working days to arrange for the home visit. Where there is an urgent need for a home visit, the SSO will make appropriate arrangements. The Ministry of Social and Family Development does not track the number of requests received by the SSOs for home visits.”
“The Large Family LifeSG Credits under the Large Families Scheme aims to strengthen support for couples with three or more children. Families will receive $1,000 Large Family LifeSG Credits every year for each third and subsequent Singapore Citizen child, from the year that the child turns one to the year that the child turns six. Families where one or both spouses have remarried, and have three or more Singaporean children under their care and control, including those born within their previous marriage, are eligible for Large Family LifeSG Credits for the years that their third or subsequent child(ren) fulfil the age criteria of the scheme. For administrative purposes, care and control of the child will be proxied by Child Development Account (CDA) trusteeship. Beyond the Large Families Scheme, benefits that support the growth and development are provided to all Singaporean children, including those from blended families. These include subsidies for education, healthcare, childcare, infant care, the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession, and the CDA. Families requiring additional support may approach Social Service Offices (SSOs) for financial assistance, and Family Service Centres (FSCs) for holistic case management and socio-emotional support.”
“In 2023, there were six public swimming pools retrofitted with wheelchair-accessible ramps and eight inclusive ActiveSG gyms. Today, nine swimming pools are retrofitted with wheelchair-accessible ramps, with one more to be completed by end-2025. There are also 15 inclusive ActiveSG gyms and Sport Singapore remains on track to make all ActiveSG gyms inclusive by 2026. Building an inclusive culture in Singapore goes beyond the provision of hardware or physical infrastructure. It is a shared responsibility that requires all of us, as a society, to nurture and grow together.”
“The Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030) guides our collective efforts towards enabling persons with disabilities (PwDs) to participate fully in society. Under EMP2030, we are enhancing services to better equip PwDs with employment and independent living skills. Key initiatives that are in-progress include: the Enabling Services Hubs which bring activities and support closer to persons with disabilities and upcoming initiatives include: (a) the Enabling Skills for Life Programme (ESLP) (from the fourth quarter of 2025) which enhance independent and community living training, (b) the Enabled Living Programme (ELP) (from November 2025) and (c) Home Support Programme (HSP) (from 2026) which support persons with disabilities to continue living in the community. Creating physical and social environments which are inclusive to PwDs is one of the EMP2030 strategic themes. Taking sports as an example, under the refreshed Disability Sports Master Plan 2024, we will focus on 10 strategic moves to (a) enhance awareness of disability sports and inclusive sports activities, such as having all mainstream schools conduct programmes for students to experience disability sports by 2028 to build understanding and empathy of challenges faced by PwDs when doing sports, (b) encourage more ground-up efforts to engage more PwDs to participate in sports, including launching the new Enabling Sports Fund, and (c) increase accessibility to disability sports activities and programmes. As part of increasing accessibility to disability sports activities and programmes, one of the strategic moves is to enhance access to and within ActiveSG sports facilities. Sport Singapore has been retrofitting public swimming pools with wheelchair-accessible ramps and making ActiveSG gyms inclusive.”
“The Government, employers and the community each has a role to play in supporting our caregivers so that they can balance caregiving with their other responsibilities sustainably. We will continue to review the support caregivers need at different stages of life.”
“The Government recognises the important role that caregivers play in their family and in our society. Supporting caregivers to stay working where possible, enables them to pursue their aspirations and meaningful careers, while providing the most reliable assurance for their long-term financial security. We enable working caregivers to balance work with caregiving through setting norms and expectations on flexible work arrangements (FWAs) via the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests and by providing employment facilitation and reskilling support for those who wish to return to work. Working caregivers may also be eligible for the Workfare Income Supplement, which supplements eligible lower-wage workers' income and retirement savings. From 1 Apr 2025, eligible parents can also make use of the enhanced Government-Paid Paternity Leave and a new Shared Parental Leave scheme. Caregivers can benefit from a range of support to help them defray the costs of caregiving. As announced at Budget 2025, caregivers can benefit from enhancements to subsidies, grants and insurance for long-term care, like the Home Caregiving Grant and CareShield Life. Parents with young children also receive a wide range of financial support, such as the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and preschool subsidies. Eligible caregivers who are seniors can also benefit from the Silver Support Scheme and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme which were enhanced from January 2025, and the Majulah Package for seniors born in 1973 or earlier. These provide an additional boost to eligible seniors' retirement and healthcare adequacy, including those with caregiving duties.”
“The SG Enable Training Grant offers up to 95% course fee subsidies and training allowances for persons with disabilities, and absentee payroll for employers. SG Enable plans to conduct the next Call for Proposals by the first quarter of 2026 for inclusive and mainstream training providers, including social service agencies serving persons with disabilities, to propose training courses and programmes. Beyond the Training Grant, the Enabling Academy collaborates with training providers to continually expand the range of courses to make them accessible or customised for persons with disabilities to support their professional and personal development. It also conducts regular complimentary workshops on disability inclusion and provides resources to uplift training providers' capabilities in inclusive course design and delivery.”
“The Child Development Account (CDA) is a special savings account for eligible children, where the Government provides dollar-for-dollar matching to deposits made by the parents to the CDA, up to a cap. For birth cohorts from 2006 onwards, the CDA is closed at the end of the year that the child turns 12 years old. Based on available data, from 2016 to 2024, over 85% of the CDA withdrawals made were used for educational expenses, such as childcare centre and kindergarten fees. About 10% were made at healthcare institutions for medical expenses, such as payment for medical fees and medication at clinics and hospitals. The remaining 5% were used for other CDA approved expenses. For the past five birth cohorts of 2008 to 2012, who have turned 12 years old and had their CDA closed, the (i) average cumulative amount of private savings excluding Government contributions was $10,200, (ii) the average total withdrawals was $12,500 and (iii) the average closing balance in these CDA accounts was $3,000. Data broken down by household income decile groups is not available as the Ministry of Social and Family Development does not mandate the collection of parents' income data for the Baby Bonus scheme.”
“Introduced in 2021, the Place-and-Train (PnT) programme provides employers with up to 90% salary support and course fee subsidy. To date, 172 employers have hired 467 persons with disabilities under the programme. From 2021 to 2023, around 80% of persons with disabilities who completed the PnT programme remained employed six months after PnT support ended. Of these, 77% remained with their host employers from PnT. PnT has been extended for two more years to place and train another 200 persons with disabilities by 2026. The programme continues to encourage employers to start hiring inclusively and provide support for employers to train new employees with disabilities on the job. The Ministry of Social and Family Development will continue to monitor and review the outcomes of the programme to assess its effectiveness.”
“Unlike personal mobility aids (PMAs), which carry individuals with mobility challenges, personal mobility devices (PMDs) are for general transport use. Eligible persons with disabilities and seniors aged 60 and above who wish to apply for subsidised PMAs or PMA components may approach SG Enable and Agency for Integrated Care to apply for support from the Assistive Technology Fund and Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund respectively. For lower-income PMD owners receiving ComCare, the ComCare assistance is given in cash and can help defray some of the battery replacement cost.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has outlined requirements on screen use in Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) in the Code of Practice. There must not be any screen use for infants up to 18 months. For children aged 18 months to six years, screen time, if used, should be limited to teaching and learning purposes. Instead of setting strict time-based limits, these requirements emphasise the purposeful use of screentime in ECDCs to complement children's learning experiences. This allows educators the flexibility to adopt digital tools that provide opportunities for interactions, engagement and thinking, rather than merely to occupy or distract children. Ultimately, it takes a whole-of-society effort to create supportive environments where our children can thrive and sustain healthy living habits. Through ECDA's requirements, we hope to better support families in building a balanced relationship with technology and screens in children's daily lives.”
“As of 15 August 2025, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has registered over 350,000 Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) made by Singaporeans. 93% of the LPAs were made by Chinese donors, followed by 3% by Indian donors and 2% by Malay donors. The remaining 2% were made by donors of other ethnicities. 19% of the donors were above 75 years old, 63% were aged between 50 and 75, 18% were under the age of 50. 58% of the LPAs were made by female donors. MSF does not collect information of the income of the donors who have submitted their LPA applications. MSF encourages all Singaporeans to make their LPA as soon as possible to provide peace of mind for themselves and clarity for their families. We will consider the suggestion to further extend the waiver of the LPA Form 1 filing fee for Singaporeans beyond 31 March 2026.”
“ComLink+ supports around 10,000 families today. Another 4,000 families were eligible but declined to take part.”
“The Development Support and Learning Support (DS-LS) programme serves children requiring low levels of Early Intervention support. As of end 2024, over 900 preschools offer DS-LS, covering 68% of preschoolers aged five to six. The Early Childhood Development Agency has met the target of covering 60% of target preschoolers by 2025 and is on track to cover 80% of target preschoolers at a steady state.”
“Parents can open a Child Development Account (CDA) for an eligible Singapore Citizen child anytime from the child's birth until the end of the year that he or she turns 12. Based on the 2013 to 2024 birth cohorts, around 420,000 children are eligible for a CDA. Less than 1% of them have not opened their CDAs. One reason why some parents may not have opened CDA for their child is because they are residing overseas and are unable to use CDA funds outside of Singapore.”