Family & gender — Topics

13 Sep 2016

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

Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin asked for the number of Singaporean children under 21 living in Singapore with a non-PR foreign parent and details on such parents over the past five years, including gender, marital status, and cases where they left with the child after pass expiry.
As of 30 June 2016, about 10,000 SC children under 21 had foreign parents residing in Singapore on Long-Term Visit Passes or Work Passes.
From 2012 to 2015, around 14,000 unique non-PR foreign parents with SC children applied for LTVPs, with about 13,000 being female.
Among the female parents, only 148 (1%) were widowed, divorced, or separated, and only three did not qualify for long-term stay, though their children remained in Singapore as of August 2016.

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13 Sep 2016

Foreigners Married to Singapore Citizens and Their Success in PR Applications

From 2009 to 2015, an average of about 4,000 foreigners married to Singapore citizens were granted PR annually, with a similar number rejected each year.
Applications are evaluated on criteria such as the sponsor’s ability to support the family, length of marriage, and whether the couple has citizen children.
About 45% of approved PRs had a household income below $4,000, 81% were female, and 28% had children at the time of application, with 86% of those children being citizens.

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13 Sep 2016

Workplace Safety for Female Employees of Child-bearing Age

The Minister confirmed that the Workplace Safety and Health Act already requires companies to consider the health of pregnant employees and their unborn children during risk assessments, and the 2015 enhanced Code of Practice mandates considering individual health risks like those affecting female employees of child-bearing age.
Specific WSH guidelines exist to protect pregnant and lactating employees from hazards such as lead, arsenic, and benzene, and employers are expected to provide alternative job assignments if workplace safety cannot be adequately managed for these employees.
The Ministry of Manpower will take enforcement action against employers who fail to provide safe workplaces for pregnant and lactating employees, ensuring current laws and codes are upheld.

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13 Sep 2016

Legal and Policy Distinction between Legitimate and Illegitimate Children

Minister Tan Chuan-Jin stated that government benefits such as social assistance, education and healthcare subsidies, and childcare subsidies are provided to all Singaporean children regardless of legitimacy status, with unwed parents' children born from September 2016 also eligible for Child Development Account benefits.
However, illegitimate children do not acquire citizenship by birth if the mother is not a Singaporean citizen, are ineligible for the Baby Bonus cash gift, and their mothers cannot claim tax reliefs available for children born within marriage.
Inheritance rules differ as an illegitimate child may inherit from the mother’s estate if she dies without a will and without legitimate children, but parents must explicitly include such children in a will to ensure inheritance rights.
The distinctions in laws and policies reflect the Government’s aim to promote strong marriages and the social norm of parenthood within marriage as key to strong families.

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13 Sep 2016

Protection for Foreign Spouses and Children when Marriages with Singapore Citizens Break Down

The Minister emphasized that both parents are legally required to maintain and provide for their children until age 21, and a foreign mother can apply for maintenance on the child's behalf even if she is not a Singaporean or Permanent Resident.
Families facing breakdown can access counselling and support from Divorce Support Specialist Agencies and Family Service Centres, while financially needy families, including single parents and dependents of NSmen, can receive financial assistance through Social Service Offices and the Ministry of Education.
Full-time National Servicemen receive a monthly allowance, with additional financial aid available for those in hardship, and foreign widowed or divorced wives with sole custody of Singaporean children can generally receive a renewable Long-Term Visit Pass to remain in Singapore.

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13 Sep 2016

Freezing of Eggs of Healthy Women for Future Use

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Ministry of Health whether it would consider allowing all healthy women to freeze their eggs to preserve fertility due to later marriages and delayed parenthood.
Minister Gan Kim Yong explained that egg freezing is currently permitted only for medical reasons, such as before cancer treatment, and highlighted risks like ovarian complications, age-related pregnancy health issues, and limited long-term data on children born from frozen eggs.
The Minister noted that social egg freezing is not allowed due to medical, social, and ethical concerns, including the false expectation of guaranteed fertility and unanswered questions about unused eggs.
The government will continue monitoring international developments and review its position, considering medical, social, and societal values, while emphasizing that delaying parenthood still carries risks and alternatives are limited.

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13 Sep 2016

Converting Unused Common Spaces in Office Buildings to Public Family Rooms

The Minister for National Development highlighted existing requirements and financial grants from BCA and MOM to support family-friendly features like lactation rooms in buildings, with ongoing reviews to enhance these measures.
Desmond Choo inquired about the take-up rate of grants and the number of buildings with lactation and family-friendly facilities to date.
The Minister acknowledged that new buildings generally comply with accessibility codes, while existing buildings face challenges in upgrades, with low grant take-up rates prompting further reviews of incentives.

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13 Sep 2016

Public Education and National Registry for Zika

Multiple MPs raised concerns about tracking Zika’s impact, including calls for a National Zika Registry, screening for pregnant women, and support for families with infants affected by microcephaly.
Questions were posed on offering free Zika screening to affected areas, providing support to suspected pregnant cases, and sharing lessons from managing recent Zika incidents.
Suggestions included raising public awareness about Zika’s effects on pregnant women, implementing temperature-taking in high-risk worker dormitories, and using traditional media to separate myths from facts.

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16 Aug 2016

Impact of Extending Equal Medical Benefits to Female Pensioners who Retired before 2005 and Their Dependants

Mr. Leon Perera asked about the number of female pensioners who retired before 2005, whether their dependants could receive equal medical benefits, and the cost of extending such benefits.
There are 8,400 female pensioners who retired before 2005, and pensioners on older medical schemes can switch to the more modern MSO scheme, which allows claims for spouses and children, but few have done so due to the older schemes' generosity.
Extending medical coverage to all dependants of female pensioners on older schemes would cost over $30 million annually.
All dependants, including spouses of these pensioners, already have lifelong protection through MediShield Life, and Pioneer Generation members receive additional healthcare subsidies and MediSave top-ups.

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15 Aug 2016

Statistics on Children Born in Singapore without Father's Name on Birth Certificate or with Father Named but Parents not Married at Date of Registration of Birth

From 2006 to 2015, the number of babies born in Singapore each year to citizen mothers who were not married to the father at birth registration decreased.
The Ministry for Social and Family Development provided a breakdown showing the number of such children with the father's name on the birth certificate and those without.
The statistics cover a 10-year period and address both scenarios: children without a father named on the certificate and those with a father named but whose parents were unmarried at birth registration.

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15 Aug 2016

Rationale for Personal Income Tax Relief Cap

The personal income tax relief cap was introduced to ensure the tax system remains progressive and fair, as the combined effect of 15 different tax reliefs could unduly reduce taxable income for high-income individuals.
The $80,000 cap is designed to affect only 1% of tax residents, with most working mothers and those claiming the Working Mother's Child Relief expected to remain unaffected and continue claiming full relief.
Beyond tax reliefs, the government provides a comprehensive suite of measures to support families, including cash gifts, savings schemes, childcare leave, and parental leave, to help with marriage and parenthood aspirations.

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15 Aug 2016

Status of Review on Need to Repeal Marital Rape Immunity

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Home Affairs about the status, timeline, and scope of the review to repeal marital rape immunity, referencing a prior government statement at the Human Rights Council.
K Shanmugam responded that the issue is under active review and an update will be provided once the government’s position is clearer.
The debate highlighted ongoing deliberations without a definitive decision on whether the repeal would be total or partial.

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15 Aug 2016

Update on Implementation and Take-up Rate of Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme

About 1,860 families have benefited from the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme since its launch in January 2013, with 630 of them having moved to new HDB flats.
Almost no families co-share flats under the scheme, with only 16 families having taken up the co-sharing option since November 2014.
Twenty-eight families have appealed for rental reductions, of which HDB assisted 22 through measures like transfers to lower-rent flats or Interim Rental Housing, while six remained in their current flats.
The supply of PPHS flats was increased by about 800 from June 2015, bringing the total to approximately 1,950 flats, with the supply reviewed regularly and deemed sufficient to meet demand.

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15 Aug 2016

Employment of Stay-at-home Mothers in Public Sector

Patrick Tay inquired whether the public sector hires stay-at-home mothers, not those on flexible work arrangements, and if not, whether it could engage them for home-based work, as well as how many are currently employed.
Teo Chee Hean, representing the Prime Minister, stated that public agencies offer freelancing opportunities for stay-at-home mothers with relevant skills but cannot track their numbers as family status is not a selection criterion.
He added that part-time and telecommuting options are available for mothers where job roles permit, with about 5% of Civil Service mothers on part-time arrangements and a quarter having telecommuted experience.

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15 Aug 2016

Number and Profile of Children who Do Not Attend Preschool

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked about the number and profile of Singaporean children not attending preschool, reasons for non-attendance, and whether preschool should be compulsory.
The Minister responded that over 90% of children aged five to six are enrolled, with nearly 99% having some preschool experience by age six.
Profiles of non-attendees include those living overseas, families preferring alternatives like homeschooling, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Ministry prioritizes making preschool accessible, affordable, and high-quality, with targeted support like KidSTART, rather than making it compulsory, to preserve parental choice.
Community outreach and home visits are used to understand barriers and support families in enrolling children in preschool.

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15 Aug 2016

Better Detection and Management of Child Abuse Cases

The Ministry of Social and Family Development has strengthened detection by providing training and better screening tools to professionals like teachers, social workers, and healthcare workers to identify early signs of abuse and connect families with help or escalate cases.
Intervention strategies balance family preservation and child safety, using safety and case plans, referring caregivers with mental health or substance issues for treatment, and removing children to kinship or foster care only in serious cases.
An Inter-Ministry Workgroup and the National Family Violence Networking System enable collaboration among ministries, police, prisons, courts, hospitals, and Family Service Centres to monitor and manage child abuse cases, including high-risk families and siblings of abused children.
Public education and outreach efforts, such as promoting the ComCare Call helpline, are used to encourage reporting of suspected child abuse and prevent cases from escalating.

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15 Aug 2016

Qualifying for Maternity Protection under Child Development Co-Savings Act and Employment Act

Tin Pei Ling asked whether a medical report is the only recognized document to qualify for maternity protection under the Child Development Co-Savings Act and Employment Act, and if a female employee who qualified for protection can appeal unfair dismissal after being dismissed following a pregnancy announcement but later suffering a miscarriage.
Lim Swee Say clarified that pregnancy certification for maternity protection under both acts can be in the form of a memo, letter, or medical report signed by a registered medical practitioner.
He stated that maternity protection against unfair dismissal applies throughout the pregnancy, even if a miscarriage occurs later, and employees can appeal to the Ministry of Manpower for investigation and appropriate action under the Employment Act.

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11 Jul 2016

Measures to Encourage Parents to Have More Children

Dr. Lee Bee Wah questioned if free childcare could be provided and its potential cost, with Minister Tan Chuan-Jin responding that the government focuses on subsidies, such as the enhanced Child Development Account and fee-capped childcare centres, which have increased spending to $600 million last year.
The Minister explained that free childcare could limit program options, increase taxpayer burden, and cause over-consumption, making it harder for those in need to access services, while current measures keep childcare affordable and allow parental choice.
Initiatives like Baby Bonus, tax benefits, and housing grants support child-raising costs, with childcare subsidies allowing lower-income families to pay as little as $3 per month, and the government plans to continue reviewing these measures.

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11 Jul 2016

Non-extension of Income Tax Relief for Foreign Maid Levy to Single Females Supporting Aged Parents

Dr Lee Bee Wah questioned why single females supporting aged parents are excluded from the foreign maid levy income tax relief and asked if it could be extended to all female taxpayers employing maids for aged parents.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam explained the relief was introduced to encourage married women to remain in the workforce, hence it is not available to singles.
Singles, both men and women, can apply for a concessionary levy if they have young children or live with aged or disabled family members, subject to conditions.
The government has reduced the concessionary levy over the years, most recently halving it to $60 a month in Budget 2015.

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11 Jul 2016

Number of Female Bus Captains Employed by Public Bus Operators

The four public bus operators employ 575 female bus captains, with SBS Transit having 404, SMRT Corporation 142, Tower Transit Singapore 26, and Go-Ahead Singapore three, making up about 6% of total bus captains.
LTA is collaborating with operators to recruit more women, including part-time schemes for flexibility and enhanced maternity and childcare benefits from some operators.
Initiatives like part-time employment aim to attract women re-entering the workforce and those with family commitments.

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