Family & gender — Topics

3 Oct 2022

Classification of Families with Special Needs Children for ComCare Assistance

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim queried how the Ministry classifies families with special needs children for ComCare assistance, specifically whether they are evaluated for Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) or Long-Term Assistance (LTA), and if they can be considered for LTA if currently classified as SMTA.
Masagos Zulkifli B M M explained that while families receive targeted disability subsidies, ComCare assesses households holistically, with SMTA provided for families who can work and need temporary support, and LTA considered for households with permanently limited income.
The Ministry's approach includes helping work-capable adults towards employment and securing care arrangements, ensuring assistance aligns with the household's specific circumstances and disability needs.

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13 Sep 2022

Criteria for Admission to Preschools Supported by Anchor or Partner Operator Schemes

The Ministry requires preschools under the Anchor Operator and Partner Operator Schemes to give priority to Singapore Citizens during enrollment.
Enrollment decisions by these preschools consider additional factors such as whether siblings are already enrolled and the proximity of the child’s home to the centre.
The Ministry has not specifically required prioritizing Singapore Citizens living within one kilometre of the preschool, though proximity is already a consideration.

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13 Sep 2022

Extension of Childcare Leave Provisions for Parents with Children with Special Needs

Mariam Jaafar asked the Prime Minister to extend childcare leave provisions for parents of children with special needs until the child is 18 years old, highlighting the additional care required beyond age 12.
The Prime Minister’s response, delivered by Indranee Rajah, explained that current policy provides six days of paid childcare leave for children under seven and two days for children aged seven to 12, with any enhancement needing to balance parental needs against employer manpower considerations.
The government encourages employers to adopt flexible work arrangements and unpaid leave for unexpected care needs, noting existing tripartite standards and initiatives to support working parents.
Additional support measures include enhanced subsidies for special student care centres, tax relief for grandparents providing care, and ongoing efforts under the Enabling Masterplan 2030 to improve respite care options.
The government committed to continuing studies with relevant agencies to better support working parents of children with special needs.

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13 Sep 2022

Further Measures to Address Labour Crunch and Reduce Dependence on Foreign Labour

The Minister outlined that Singapore’s resident Labour Force Participation Rate has steadily increased, with more women and seniors joining the workforce, and noted that flexible work arrangements, improved preschool access, and increased retirement and re-employment ages are key strategies to further boost participation.
To support senior workers, the government provides wage offsets and part-time re-employment grants, while Workforce Singapore offers mid-career pathways and career conversion programmes to promote local employment.
Businesses are encouraged to transform and increase productivity through Industry Transformation Maps, Job Redesign, and reskilling programmes, supported by grants to enhance manpower efficiency and reduce reliance on foreign labour.

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12 Sep 2022

Eligibility of Single Parents with Interim Judgment of Divorce for Subsidised Flat under Assistance Scheme for Second-Timers and Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme

Leon Perera asked if the Assistance Scheme for Second-Timers and Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme would be extended to single parents with an interim judgment of divorce, following a 2019 policy change that already allows divorced parties to apply for subsidized HDB flats after obtaining an interim judgment.
Desmond Lee confirmed that both schemes are already open to single parents with an interim judgment of divorce, provided they have settled ancillary matters like matrimonial property and child custody.
Second-timers can get priority under the Assistance Scheme for Second-Timers if they apply for specific new flats and meet eligibility conditions, while those with booked flats can access the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme if they meet citizenship and income requirements.

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12 Sep 2022

Inclusion of Name of Stillborn Child in New Digital Birth Certificates

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked whether the new digital birth certificates for stillborn children will allow parents to designate a name for the child.
K Shanmugam explained that current stillbirth registration does not include naming, as names are not needed for policy administration and the process is fully automated to reduce administrative burden on grieving parents.
He noted that changing the process to include naming would require further system updates, but the MHA will study its feasibility and alternatives, such as a commemorative certificate, during the next policy review.
So far, only one request for naming a stillborn child has been received by the ICA.

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12 Sep 2022

Raising Tax Relief Claimable under Working Mother's Child Relief Scheme

Christopher de Souza proposed raising the personal income tax relief cap from $80,000 to $100,000 under the Working Mother's Child Relief scheme to support families and encourage a higher national fertility rate.
Lawrence Wong explained that the current $80,000 cap affects only 1% of tax residents, with most working mothers not reaching the limit, so increasing it would not benefit the majority.
The government provides extensive support for families beyond tax reliefs, including cash gifts, savings schemes, grants, subsidies for education and healthcare, and various forms of leave and childcare support.
These measures collectively demonstrate the government's commitment to supporting parenthood, with ongoing policy reviews to enhance family-friendly support in Singapore.

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12 Sep 2022

Effects of Increasing Childcare Leave on a Person's Employability

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang questioned the Prime Minister on whether studies have been conducted on the effects of increasing childcare leave on employability, the availability of study results, and the reasons if no studies exist.
The Prime Minister, represented by Indranee Rajah, stated that no such studies are planned due to the difficulty of isolating childcare leave's impact from other factors affecting employability.
The government engages employers who express concerns about leave provisions affecting business costs and operations, and existing leave utilisation rates suggest workplace norms limit take-up.
Instead of specific studies, the government is focusing on addressing barriers by promoting progressive workplace practices like Flexible Work Arrangements to support caregiving needs and strengthen businesses.
The approach aims to build a sustainable work environment where employees can balance work and family commitments, with ongoing collaboration with stakeholders to encourage family-friendly practices.

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12 Sep 2022

Applications for Permanent Residency and Citizenship for Spouses and Relatives of Singapore Citizens

Gan Thiam Poh asked for data on the numbers and success rates of permanent residence and citizenship applications from spouses and relatives of Singapore citizens over the past three years.
K Shanmugam responded that under the Family Ties Scheme, an average of 9,500 permanent residence applications were processed annually from 2019 to 2021, with 62% approval for spouses, 24% for unmarried minor children, and 2% for parents.
For citizenship applications under the same scheme, an average of 7,000 were processed annually, with 90% approval for spouses, 93% for unmarried minor children, and 28% for parents.

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12 Sep 2022

Recognition of Caregivers' Contributions and Government's Care for Their Well-being

Seah Kian Peng sought updates on recognizing caregivers' contributions and government support, referencing the 2018 Quality of Life of Caregivers Study and enhancements to the Home Caregiving Grant.
Ong Ye Kung outlined initiatives including the White Paper for Singapore Women’s Development, expanded Home Caregiving Grant, more respite care options, and community-based peer support networks for caregivers.
The government is launching Enabling Services Hubs to connect caregivers to support services and emphasizing employer cooperation through flexible workplace standards and unpaid leave policies.
A whole-of-society approach is encouraged, with the President’s Challenge 2024 focusing on “Caring for Caregivers” to further highlight their well-being.

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12 Sep 2022

Wait Times for Childcare and Infant Care Places, and Strategies for Ramping Up Capacity when Needed

The Minister of State explained that wait times for childcare and infant care range from a few weeks to months, as the system balances vacancies, parental preferences, and matching efficiency, noting that maintaining large vacancy buffers would increase costs and fees.
ECDA is on track to deliver 10,000 new full-day preschool places by 2023, with nearly half already created and additional places opened by commercial operators, while working with housing agencies to integrate preschools into new developments.
The government uses demographic and enrolment data to plan capacity, but does not use maternity appointments for planning due to insufficient lead time, and addresses surges from housing sales by extending existing centres where space and manpower allow.
A member highlighted that long travel distances to preschools add stress for families juggling multiple caregiving duties, and asked for an analysis of the costs and trade-offs of maintaining vacancy buffers to better meet parents’ location preferences.
The Minister acknowledged the importance of distance and stated that ECDA actively monitors demand and collaborates with operators to increase capacity in high-need areas, though many centres already operate near full capacity.

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2 Aug 2022

Percentage of Female Employees in Companies Offering Flexible Work Arrangements

Louis Ng asked whether companies offering flexible work arrangements have more female employees, if the data exists, and why if not.
The Ministry of Manpower stated that companies with flexible work arrangements have an equal proportion of male and female employees.
The Ministry emphasized that flexible work arrangements benefit all employees regardless of gender and help companies attract and retain talent.
Tripartite Partners encourage the widespread provision of flexible work arrangements at all workplaces, irrespective of gender composition.

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2 Aug 2022

Infant Care Capacity Taken Up and Ways to Spread Demand to Available Places

There are over 12,000 licensed infant care places, with about 9,700 (80%) currently taken up.
The Early Childhood Development Agency plans to add 1,000 more infant care places in 2022, mainly through Anchor Operators alongside new HDB developments.
To address high demand in popular areas like Punggol, larger preschools are being developed in community premises and vacant state land to serve wider catchments.
Parents are encouraged to consider preschools in adjacent neighbourhoods, near workplaces, or close to grandparents' homes to spread demand.
The Ministry urges broader consideration of preschool options to better align demand with available capacity across different areas.

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2 Aug 2022

A More Inclusive Workplace for Breastfeeding Mothers

Mr. Louis Ng highlighted the struggles of breastfeeding mothers at work, such as being forced to use toilets or storerooms for pumping, and proposed mandating more lactation rooms in buildings and legislating paid lactation breaks.
Minister Indranee Rajah acknowledged the need for supportive workplaces, noting existing building requirements for lactation rooms and that the government will review these in 2025, while emphasizing the importance of inclusive work culture alongside infrastructure.
The debate underscored the rise in breastfeeding rates in Singapore and the need for better support, with both speakers agreeing on the necessity of addressing space, time, and mindset challenges for working mothers.

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1 Aug 2022

Applications for Infant Care and Childcare Subsidies Under Special Approval Framework

The Special Approval framework allows non-working parents due to extenuating circumstances to receive childcare subsidy rates equivalent to working parents, with about 10,000 applications annually and a 95% approval rate.
Families in public rental flats or receiving Comcare support are automatically eligible for maximum preschool subsidies until the next assessment point, irrespective of the mother’s employment status, with this provision unchanged.
The Minister confirmed no policy changes to the automatic eligibility for maximum subsidies for these households based on the mother’s working status.

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1 Aug 2022

Waiver of Admission Fees to Local Places of Interest to Encourage More Family Outings during Year of Celebrating SG Families

Hany Soh proposed that the Singapore Tourism Board collaborate with private operators to waive or offset admission fees for children and seniors at local attractions during the Year of Celebrating SG Families to promote inter-generational family outings.
Gan Kim Yong highlighted that partners of the Made For Families initiative have already introduced family-friendly deals and promotions throughout 2022, including discounts for attractions and events.
The Singapore Tourism Board continues to support the SingapoRediscovers campaign to encourage Singaporeans to explore local, often admission-free, attractions and strengthen family bonds beyond the ended voucher scheme.

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1 Aug 2022

Absenteeism Rate of Preschool Children in Bottom 20% of Socioeconomic Groups by Age and Ethnicity

Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Social and Family Development for absenteeism rates among preschool children in the bottom 20% of socioeconomic groups, broken down by age and ethnicity.
The Minister, Masagos Zulkifli, stated that preschools are not required to submit detailed attendance records to ECDA, so the requested specific data is unavailable.
Available data from a major Anchor Operator shows lower-income children have about 10 percentage points lower attendance rates than their peers.
Programmes like KidSTART and Community Link work with preschools to support lower-income families and address barriers to regular attendance.
ECDA is collaborating with Anchor Operators to implement regular submission of attendance records for all enrolled children as part of ongoing efforts.

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1 Aug 2022

Eligible Children whose Parents Have Not Enrolled Them in KidSTART Programme

KidSTART has supported about 4,300 children since its 2016 pilot, with preliminary outcomes showing better preschool attendance and increased confidence among participants.
Of approximately 7,000 eligible families contacted since 2016, an average of 60% enrolled in KidSTART, while others declined due to not seeing a need or facing commitment difficulties.
The programme will expand from 2023 to cover all 24 Social Service Office regions in Singapore, with outreach conducted through hospitals, community, preschools, and social service agencies.

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1 Aug 2022

Correlation between Parents' Socioeconomic Status and Take-up of Maternity and Paternity Leave

The government has not studied whether parents’ socioeconomic status correlates with their take-up of maternity or paternity leave.
Parental leave utilisation is influenced by factors such as the nature of the job and workplace norms, with frontline or hourly-dependent roles finding it harder to use leave.
Workplace support, including supervisor encouragement and colleague coverage, is key across all job types for parents to take leave.
Employers are encouraged to adopt flexible HR practices, such as allowing leave to be taken in parts within the first year, to better support employees and business needs.
A whole-of-society effort is needed to build supportive workplace cultures to help parents benefit from parental leave schemes.

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5 Jul 2022

Applicants on Waitlist for HDB Rental Flats who are Divorced Males Broken Down by Age Group

There are approximately 1,700 approved applicants on the waitlist for HDB rental flats, with 350 (21%) being male divorcees.
Among male divorcees, 3% are below 35 years old, 53% are aged 35 to 59, and 44% are 60 and above.
Divorcees may apply as a family nucleus if they have care and control of a child or as singles if they do not.

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