Family & gender — Topics

6 Apr 2020

Entry into Singapore for Foreign Spouses of Singapore Citizens in Light of COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

Ms Tin Pei Ling asked if foreign spouses of Singapore citizens would be allowed entry despite COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary stated that all short-term visitors are disallowed entry, and Long-Term Pass holders, including foreign spouses, must seek prior approval to return.
Foreign spouses holding Long-Term Passes are given high priority for approval, and short-term visitors with extenuating circumstances are assessed case-by-case.

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26 Mar 2020

Proposal for All Pre-schools to Have At Least One Lactation Room

Louis Ng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development about the percentage of preschools with a lactation room and whether it can be made compulsory for all to have one.
The Early Childhood Development Agency does not require all preschools to have a lactation room, as preschools have flexibility to manage space based on the needs of children, staff, and parents.
Preschools with older children or more working mothers may have less need for an on-site lactation room, while others are encouraged to set one up as needed.
Preschools should ensure efficient use of space for child development and staff welfare according to their specific circumstances.

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26 Mar 2020

Proposal for all MRT Stations and Bus Interchanges to Have at Least One Lactation Room and Breastfeeding Room

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked about the current percentage of MRT stations and bus interchanges with lactation and breastfeeding rooms, and whether it can be made compulsory for all to have at least one.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that 50% of bus interchanges already have nursing rooms, with plans to include them in all new interchanges, integrated transport hubs, and new MRT interchange stations.
The Ministry will explore providing nursing rooms during upgrades of existing MRT stations but does not plan to make them compulsory for all, as many stations are already near facilities like shopping centres that offer such rooms.

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26 Mar 2020

Breastfeeding on Public Trains and Buses

The Ministry of Transport confirmed that breastfeeding is not prohibited on Singapore's public trains and buses, and nursing rooms are provided at key transport nodes for those who prefer privacy.
Louis Ng pointed out that SMRT's website still suggests it's best to feed children before entering stations, which may deter mothers, and urged clearer messaging.
The Ministry agreed to advise public transport operators to update their websites and FAQs to affirm that breastfeeding is allowed without restriction.
It was confirmed that there are no regulations requiring mothers to cover up while breastfeeding on public transport.

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26 Mar 2020

Regulations that Prohibit Breastfeeding in Public

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary clarified that there is no law in Singapore strictly prohibiting public breastfeeding, though indecent exposure laws could apply depending on the circumstances.
She explained that police would assess each case individually, but mothers genuinely breastfeeding are generally unlikely to be prosecuted under indecency laws.
Louis Ng sought specific clarification on whether breastfeeding without a cover could lead to prosecution, and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary reiterated that breastfeeding in public is not illegal and police will not intervene unless there are law and order concerns.

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26 Mar 2020

Schools and Post-secondary Educational Institutions with Lactation Rooms

MOE reports that about 85% of primary schools, 65% of secondary schools, and 90% of junior colleges have at least one lactation room, with all institutes of higher learning equipped with lactation facilities.
MOE has committed to progressively provide lactation facilities in remaining schools within the next three years where feasible, as part of ongoing upgrades and new building specifications.
Lactation rooms are designated specifically for nursing mothers and are not multi-purpose spaces, with fridges available either in the room or in staff lounges for milk storage.
MOE has prioritized supporting nursing mothers since 2010, incorporating lactation room requirements into building specifications for primary, secondary, and junior college schools.

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25 Mar 2020

Breakdown on Number of Persons Above Age 65 Receiving CPF Transfers from Their Child in Last Three Years

The number of persons above age 65 receiving CPF transfers from their children increased to about 17,800 in 2019, with over $169 million received.
Cash top-ups were more popular than CPF transfers, and female recipients received larger amounts than male recipients.
Children earning less tended to top up more in cash compared to those earning higher incomes.
From 2021 to 2025, the government will introduce the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme to match cash top-ups up to $600 annually.
The Minister provided tables detailing the breakdown by age, gender, income, and transfer modes but did not supply all requested yearly data.

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25 Mar 2020

Breakdown by Gender and Current Employment Status of Singaporeans Eligible for Budget 2020 Matched Retirement Savings Scheme and Average and Median Balances in CPF Accounts

About 435,000 Singaporeans aged 55 to 70 are eligible for the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS), which aims to help those who have not met the CPF Basic Retirement Sum save more for retirement.
Roughly half are active CPF contributors, with slightly more women than men; among them, women have lower average and median CPF balances ($108,000 and $90,000) compared to men ($146,000 and $133,000).
About one-third are inactive contributors, likely caregivers, with 2.5 times as many women as men; women in this group have lower average and median balances ($60,000 and $39,000) than men ($96,000 and $63,000).
Around 20% are self-employed persons (SEPs), with twice as many men as women; women SEPs have lower average and median balances ($72,000 and $48,000) compared to men ($113,000 and $88,000).

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6 Mar 2020

Consideration to Introduce Minimum Staff-to-child Ratio at Places of Safety

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked if the Ministry for Social and Family Development would study introducing a minimum staff-to-child ratio at places of safety to ensure children receive adequate care.
The Ministry explained that children in need of protection may be placed in licensed Homes gazetted as places of safety under the Children and Young Persons Act, with standards of care regularly reviewed.
Current standards require a minimum ratio of one care staff to every 10 children during awake hours, and one staff to every 20 children at night when care needs are lower.

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5 Mar 2020

Number of Cases Requiring an Assistant Registrar to Sign Documents for Sale of Matrimonial Property due to Refusal by Spouse to Sign Sale Documents

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Law for data over the past five years on cases where an Assistant Registrar had to sign documents for selling matrimonial property due to a spouse's refusal, including the duration of the signing process, the number of prior similar applications, and whether such data would be collected if not already available.
The Minister responded that the requested data for parts (a), (b), and (c) is currently not collected, but explained that the time from the initial court order to the Assistant Registrar's signing depends on case specifics and that approved applications are signed on the same day.
The Ministry will explore with the Courts the possibility of collecting such data in the future.

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5 Mar 2020

Number of Court Applications Involving Spouse Refusing to Comply with Court Orders on Sale of Matrimonial Home in the Past Five Years

The Ministry of Law currently does not collect data on court applications where a spouse refuses to comply with court orders for the sale of the matrimonial home, as requested in parts (a), (b), and (c) of the question.
The duration of such applications varies depending on the specific case details, including the initial order’s terms and the timing of the enforcement application.
The Ministry will explore with the Courts whether it is feasible to collect the requested data in the future.

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5 Mar 2020

Number of Children Granted Singapore Citizenship Born to PR Mothers and Non-PR Mothers Each Year Since 2016

Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Home Affairs for the number of children granted Singapore citizenship each year since 2016, categorized by whether their mothers are permanent residents (PRs) or non-PR foreign mothers.
From 2016 to 2019, an average of about 4,280 citizen children were born annually to PR mothers in Singapore.
During the same period, an average of about 2,210 citizen children were born each year to foreign mothers who are not PRs.

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5 Mar 2020

Singaporeans Under 21 Years of Age Residing in Singapore with Non-PR Foreign Parent

Ms Anthea Ong inquired about Singaporean children under 21 living in Singapore with non-PR foreign parents and specific details about such parents from 2016 to 2019.
Minister K Shanmugam reported that as of end-2019, about 13,400 such children had foreign parents on Long-Term Visit Passes or Work Passes.
From 2016 to 2019, around 14,400 unique non-PR foreign parents applied for LTVPs, with 12,100 being female.
Among the female parents, only 1.5% (177) were widowed, divorced, or separated, and seven did not qualify for long-term stay but their children remained in Singapore as of February 2020.

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5 Mar 2020

Committee of Supply – Head I (Ministry of Social and Family Development)

The Ministry announced enhanced pre-school subsidies and fee caps to make quality early childhood education more affordable, including raising the income ceiling for Additional Subsidy and lowering Partner Operator fee caps, while expanding the KidSTART programme to support low-income families.
Support for children with developmental needs is being strengthened through the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) and new in-preschool interventions, with an inter-agency workgroup set to recommend improvements by year-end.
Subsidies for student care centres will increase, and foster parents will soon receive childcare leave benefits, while the government is streamlining subsidy processes for low-income families and enhancing the Pre-school Opportunity Fund for developmental activities.
The ministry is fostering community partnerships, such as the "GROWING TOGETHER with KidSTART" initiative, which has raised over $800,000 in donations and mobilized volunteers to support families.
Efforts to support children with disabilities and their caregivers include engagement sessions to identify new initiatives, and ComLink is helping rental-flat families work towards home ownership with tailored support.

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5 Mar 2020

Committee of Supply – Head I (Ministry of Social and Family Development)

Multiple MPs highlighted the need for better coordination among social agencies to support vulnerable families, with Minister Desmond Lee announcing enhanced digital systems and community partnerships like ComLink to streamline help and reduce duplication.
Discussions emphasized improving support for persons with disabilities, including making special student care more affordable, creating a single touchpoint via SG Enable, and forming workgroups to address employment, independent living, and inclusive preschools.
MPs raised concerns about food insecurity, marriage and parenting support, and early childhood intervention, with the government committing to expanded KidSTART, online divorce portals, and more accessible preschool subsidies.

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4 Mar 2020

Support for Children Aged Below Seven with Developmental Needs to Secure Preschool Placements

Anthea Ong asked how many children under seven with developmental needs have been denied enrolment or expelled from preschools, and how the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) supports these families in securing placements.
Desmond Lee noted that many children with developmental needs are enrolled in preschools, with 75% of those in EIPIC also attending preschools, and that about 550 preschools offer support programmes for mild needs.
ECDA addresses a few annual cases of preschools struggling with moderate to severe needs by working with parents, SG Enable, EIPIC centres, and preschools to find solutions, including referrals to better-suited preschools.
The government is enhancing support through initiatives like the Development Support-Plus programme, which provides in-preschool early intervention, and the Inclusive Preschool Workgroup to improve support for moderate to severe needs.

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4 Mar 2020

Number of Applications Made under Guardianship of Infants Acts in Last Five Years

The Minister provided the number of applications made under the Guardianship of Infants Act from 2015 to 2019, noting that these include various types of applications such as for guardianship, maintenance, and custody.
The Ministry does not track how many of these applications were for appointing a guardian who is not biologically related to the infant.
Applications to appoint a guardian under the Act must meet specific legal provisions, such as when a parent has died or the infant has no parent or guardian, and the court's primary consideration is the best interest and welfare of the infant.
There is no legal requirement for the proposed guardian to be biologically related to the infant, as the focus is on the infant's welfare.

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4 Mar 2020

Consideration to Incentivise Fathers to Take Government-Paid Paternity Leave

Louis Ng asked the Government to consider incentivising fathers to take Government-Paid Paternity Leave by providing additional leave usable by either parent once the father has fully consumed his entitlement.
The Prime Minister's representative noted that paternity leave take-up has risen from 25% to 53% but emphasised that workplace support, not additional leave, is key to increasing utilisation, and balancing employer manpower concerns is essential.
The Government promotes supportive workplace norms through tripartite standards on flexible work arrangements and unpaid leave, supported by grants, to help parents manage work and family responsibilities.

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4 Mar 2020

Delinking Childcare Subsidies from Mother's Employment Status

Ms Anthea Ong asked why childcare subsidies are linked to the mother's employment status and whether this criteria will be delinked.
Minister Desmond Lee explained that higher subsidies are provided to working mothers to support their labour market participation, while all parents receive basic subsidies regardless of employment status.
The Minister noted flexibility for non-working mothers needing childcare, with additional support for low-income families and alternative kindergarten subsidies not tied to the mother’s employment.
Ms Ong questioned why the criteria specify only the mother’s employment and not the father’s, to which the Minister responded that the subsidy aims to encourage mothers to return to work.
The debate highlighted ongoing considerations for childcare subsidy eligibility, with potential updates to be announced at the Committee of Supply.

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3 Mar 2020

Consideration for Government-Paid Paternity Leave to be Taken in Shorter Duration

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked if the Government-Paid Paternity Leave can be taken in shorter durations such as half-days or hours.
Desmond Lee responded that the two weeks of paternity leave can already be taken flexibly in durations shorter than one day with mutual agreement between employers and employees.
The Government encourages flexible work arrangements and unpaid leave for care needs to support parents beyond leave provisions.
Authorities will continue working with tripartite partners to promote family-friendly workplace practices.

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