More childcare leave, cheaper preschool fees, higher BTO income ceiling: 5 key NDR 2026 takeaways
More childcare leave, cheaper preschool fees and better chances of getting a BTO flat if you have children.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled a slew of measures aimed largely at supporting families during his National Day Rally (NDR) speech on Aug 23.
He also announced stronger safeguards for young social media users as Singapore grapples with the opportunities — and risks — brought about by technology.
Here are five key announcements you should know.
1. Parents to get up to 12 days of childcare leave each
Working parents will get between eight and 12 days of childcare leave each year, depending on how many children they have.
According to PM Wong, each parent will receive:
- Eight days a year if they have one child
- 10 days a year if they have two children
- 12 days a year if they have three or more children
The children must be Singapore citizens aged 12 and below.
Currently, parents get six days of childcare leave a year if their children are aged six and below, and two days if they are aged seven to 12.
This means a working couple with three primary school-going children could go from having a combined four days of childcare leave to 24 days under the new scheme.
The start date has yet to be announced as legislative changes are required.
2. Childcare fees to fall to $150 a month by 2030
Parents can also look forward to significantly lower preschool fees.
Monthly fees for full-day childcare at government-supported preschools will fall to $150 by 2030, while infant care fees will be reduced to $300.
According to The Straits Times, this would bring childcare fees to less than half of today’s levels.
CNA reported that the lower fees will apply to every Singaporean child regardless of household income and are calculated before means-tested subsidies.
Lower-income families could therefore pay even less.
Currently, after basic subsidies, full-day childcare at government-supported preschools costs between $365 and $559 a month, while infant care costs between $746 and $1,256.
3. Each Singaporean child to receive almost $70,000 in support by age 17
The Government is also overhauling the way financial support for children is given.
A new SG Child Support Package will provide almost $70,000 in direct financial support to every Singaporean child by the time they turn 17, CNA reported.
The package will replace and consolidate existing support under schemes such as the Baby Bonus Scheme and Large Families Scheme.
The package will include:
- A $10,000 cash gift for eligible newborns
- A $5,000 Child Development Account First Step Grant
- Up to $5,000 in government co-matching for the Child Development Account
- $2,000 in Child Credits every year for the first 16 years
- Edusave top-ups during primary and secondary school
- A $10,000 Post-Secondary Education Account top-up at age 17
The new package will provide the same baseline support to every Singaporean child regardless of birth order or family circumstances.
4. BTO income ceiling raised to $16,000 — and parents get more ballot chances
More Singaporeans will soon qualify to buy new HDB flats.
“By the time they settle down, many are further along in their careers and earning more. So more young couples are crossing the current income ceilings,” said PM Wong.
“We want to ensure that the vast majority of Singaporean couples can continue to have access to subsidised public housing.”
The monthly household income ceiling for BTO flats will rise from $14,000 to $16,000, while the ceiling for executive condominiums will increase from $16,000 to $18,000, reported CNA.
For eligible singles aged 35 and above, the HDB income ceiling will also rise from $7,000 to $8,000.
Families with children will get another boost.
From February 2027, first-timer families will receive one additional ballot chance for every Singaporean child aged 18 and below, including children they are expecting.
“The more children you have, the more ballot chances you will receive – because we want to help growing families secure a home sooner,” PM Wong said.
The next BTO exercise will also be shifted from October to November to give buyers more time to review their plans under the revised income ceilings.
5. Social media platforms will have to properly verify users’ ages
Young social media users are set to get stronger protections online.
PM Wong announced that social media platforms will be required to introduce more robust age checks, rather than relying largely on users to declare their own ages.
“On paper, most social media platforms already set a minimum age of 13 – but enforcement is largely left to platforms themselves,” he said.
“We know that this is not working well. When I visit primary schools, I am struck by how many children are already active on social media... Self-declaration is just not good enough.”
PM Wong added that one in six young people aged 10 to 24 in Singapore shows signs of problematic social media use, with some spending six to seven hours a day on such platforms.
Platforms serving young users will also be required to introduce stronger safeguards, with the Government prepared to consider further restrictions if these prove insufficient.
This could include raising the minimum age for accessing certain platforms beyond 13.
PM Wong also said Singapore would continue embracing artificial intelligence while putting safeguards in place to ensure people remain in control as the technology becomes more powerful.
*This article was produced with AI assistance.
Explore more on these topics
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
