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INFOGRAPH: Financial benefits of having a baby in Singapore
More than $150K is at stake.
Here are government's strategy to encourage couples to have babies outlined at Singapore Government's white paper released recently..
EnhancEMEnTS To ThE MarrIagE & Parenthood PackaGe
a) MakinG it faSter and eaSier to Get houSinG to SuPPort EarlIEr MarrIagES and BIrThS
i) Parenthood Priority Scheme which gives priority allocation for new HDB flats to firsttimer married couples with children by setting aside a proportion of flats for them.
ii) Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme to allow first-timer married couples with children to rent a flat from HDB at an affordable rental rate while awaiting the completion of their flats.
B) concePtion and delivery coStS
iii) Enhanced Government co-funding for Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) treatments, to cover up to 75% of treatment costs, capped at $6,300 per cycle and $1,200 per cycle for 3 fresh and 3 frozen treatment cycles respectively. Co-funding will also now be extended to couples with more than one child.
iv) Accouchement fees in the public hospitals will no longer be differentiated across birth order.
c) further defrayinG child-raiSinG coStS, IncludIng hEalThcarE coSTS
v) Enhanced Baby Bonus Cash Gift of $6,000 per child for the first two births, and $8,000 per child for the third/fourth births. This marks an increase of $2,000 per birth over the current Baby Bonus.
d) enhancinG Work-life MeaSureS to helP WorkinG couPleS Balance Work and faMily coMMitMentS
viii) 2 days of Government-Paid Child Care Leave annually for parents with children aged 7-12, to provide parents of children in primary school with more time to tend to their children’s needs.
Parents with at least one child below age 7 will continue to have 6 days of Child Care Leave.
ix) 4 weeks of Government-Paid Adoption Leave for working mothers to support bonding with the adopted child in the child’s first year.
x) Government-Paid Maternity Benefit to allow working women who do not currently qualify for any maternity leave (e.g. shorter-term contract workers) to enjoy the Governmentpaid share of maternity leave in the form of a cash benefit.
xi) Extended maternity protection period to cover the full term of pregnancy, for employees who
are retrenched or dismissed without sufficient cause.
e) SiGnallinG to fatherS to Play a BiGGer role in BrIngIng uP ThEIr chIldrEn
xii) 1 week of Government-Paid Paternity Leave for fathers .
xiii) 1 week of Government-Paid Shared Parental Leave to allow fathers to share 1 week of the working mother’s maternity leave entitlement.
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