Raising Your Child

• 1. Where can I find out more about the new birth registration process for my child?

  For more information, you can visit this website: go.gov.sg/lifesg-ebc

  FAQs on the new birth registration process can be found here: https://va.ecitizen.gov.sg/cfp/customerpages/ICA/explorefaq.aspx

  FAQs on LifeSG birth registration can be found here: https://www.life.gov.sg/help-support/birth-registration

• 2. How do I join the Baby Bonus Scheme?

  You can submit your application on the LifeSG mobile application, or on go.gov.sg/bbo

   

  Before submitting your application, check your child’s eligibility at https://www.babybonus-eservices.msf.gov.sg/parent-helper/ If your child is eligible, you may proceed to apply by following these steps:

   

  Step 1: Click “Join Baby Bonus” at go.gov.sg/bbo

  Step 2:  Log in using your SingPass.

  Step 3: Complete the relevant sections in the application form.

  Watch this video for more information on the application process.

   

   

   

• 3. I have applied for the Baby Bonus as part of the birth registration process on LifeSG. With the changes to the new birth registration process, will I need to reapply for the Baby Bonus separately?

  If you have applied for the Baby Bonus as part of the birth registration, there is no need to apply on the Baby Bonus website separately.

• 4. I am an overseas Singaporean parent. Is my child eligible for the Baby Bonus and how can I apply?

  Your child will need to obtain Singapore Citizenship by the age of 12 to qualify for the full amount of Baby Bonus benefits. You can submit your application for the Baby Bonus Scheme through the LifeSG mobile application, or at go.gov.sg/bbo.

   

  If you and your spouse are not Singapore Citizens at the time of your child's birth, your child must obtain Singapore Citizenship before reaching (a) 24 months of age to be eligible for the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, and (b) 12 years of age to be eligible for the Child Development Account. The Baby Bonus benefits will be pro-rated according to the date your child obtains Singapore Citizenship.

• 5. Should I apply for the Baby Bonus on the Baby Bonus website or via LifeSG?

  To bring convenience to citizens, eligible parents who register their child’s birth via LifeSG can apply for the Baby Bonus and the National Library Board (NLB) basic membership at the same time.

  If you have already completed your child’s birth registration, you can still proceed to the Baby Bonus website to apply for the Baby Bonus.

• 6. If my child has just obtained Singapore Citizenship, what Baby Bonus Scheme benefits does he/she qualify for?

  You can check your child’s eligibility and entitlement using the Eligibility Check tool.

   

  If either you or your spouse is a Singapore citizen at the time of your child's birth, he/she will be eligible for the full Baby Bonus benefits. Your child must obtain Singapore Citizenship and join the scheme before reaching 12 years of age.

   

  If you and your spouse are not Singapore citizens at the time of your child's birth, your child will be eligible for pro-rated benefits.

  Your child must obtain Singapore Citizenship before 24 months of age to be eligible for the Cash Gift, and before 12 years of age to be eligible for the Child Development Account. The pro-rated amount will depend on the date that he or she becomes a Singapore citizen.

• 7. Would parents have to return the Baby Bonus benefits that have already been disbursed to them in the following circumstances: (i) If the mother was lawfully married to the father, but divorced subsequently; (ii) If the child passes away subsequently.

   

  (i) No. Parents are required to inform the Ministry of Social and Family Development when there is a change in the (a) custody, care and control, or (b) care and control of the child. The parent granted both (a) and (b) will be the Child Development Account trustee to manage the child’s account, and the recipient of any remaining Baby Bonus Cash Gift.

   

  (ii) No. If the Baby Bonus Cash Gift has yet to be disbursed in full, the remaining balance will be given to the bank account holder in one lump sum. Your child's Child Development Account, if any, will also be closed. The remaining balances will be transferred to the Public Trustee for disbursement according to the Interstate Succession Act or Syariah Law.

• 8. How is birth order determined? Are non-Singapore Citizen children/stepchildren/stillbirths counted in the birth order?

  The birth order is pegged to the number of Singapore Citizen children born to the mother or adopted by the mother. The computation of birth order includes biological children, adopted-in children, and stillbirths or children who have passed away.

   

  Multiple births (e.g. twins and triplets) are considered separate birth orders. For example, the first twin is considered as the first child and the second twin as the second child.

  
  If there is an adopted child, the birth order is determined by the date of adoption, or the date the child becomes a Singapore Citizen, whichever is later.

   

  Stepchildren, non-citizen children, foster children and adopted-out children are excluded from the computation of birth order.

• 9. Are adopted children eligible for benefits under the Baby Bonus Scheme? What are the benefits that an adopted child will receive?

  Yes, adopted children are eligible if they meet the eligibility conditions. Please use the Eligibility Check tool to check your adopted child’s eligibility and benefits. 

   

• 10. Is it compulsory to make a deposit to open a Child Development Account and top up savings in the account to the specified cap once the account is opened?

  No, there is no such requirement. It is up to you to save based on your needs. For instance, if you save $10, the Government will match with an additional $10. The savings may be used for your child’s educational and healthcare expenses at Approved Institutions registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development until the end of the year that your child turns 12 years old.

   

  Interest earned is not considered as a contribution and will not be matched. Savings above the specified Government contribution cap will also not be matched. You may save into your child’s Child Development Account up to 31 Dec of the year he or she turns 12.

• 11. What can I use the savings in the Child Development Account for?

  The money may be used on all your children, even those without a Child Development Account, to pay for their expenses at Approved Institutions that have registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development under the Baby Bonus Scheme. These include:

   

  • Childcare centres licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)
  • Kindergartens registered with ECDA or Council for Private Education and special education schools registered with the Ministry of Education respectively
  • Early intervention programmes registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development
  • Hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions licensed by the Ministry of Health
  • Pharmacies registered with the Health Sciences Authority
  • Optical shops registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority
  • Assistive technology device providers registered with the National Council of Social Service, Ministry of Health or Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority

  View the full list of Approved Institutions where the Child Development Account funds can be used at here: go.gov.sg/listofai.

   

  Do note that the funds cannot be withdrawn in cash. Withdrawals from the Child Development Account can only be made via interbank GIRO or NETS at Approved Institutions.

   

  • Payment via interbank GIRO: Please enquire with your Approved Institution. You will need to fill up an application form to use interbank GIRO for the Child Development Account and submit it to the institution.
  • Payment via NETS: The bank you opened the Child Development Account with will issue you a Baby Bonus NETS Card. While you can use this card to make NETS payments at Approved Institutions from your child's Child Development Account, it cannot be used to make payments at other places, or to withdraw cash at ATMs.

• 12. What happens to the Child Development Account after my child turns 12?

  The account will be closed, and any unused account funds will be transferred to your child’s Post-Secondary Education Account, up to a cap. Child Development Account trustees will be notified if there is excess balance above this cap to be refunded.

• 13. My child is eligible for the enhanced CDA co-matching cap. When can I expect to receive the additional top-up?

  The increased financial support will be paid out from 2024, after we have completed the required legislative and IT system changes. Parents will be notified when the enhanced BBCG and CDA First Step Grant are paid out. Parents can save up to the current CDA co-matching caps in 2023. Until the legislative and system changes are in place, savings in excess of the current co-matching caps will not be matched. Parents will be notified in 2024 on when they can make the additional deposits to save up to the enhanced CDA co-matching cap.

For more information on the Baby Bonus Scheme, please visit www.babybonus.msf.gov.sg, or use ‘Ask Jamie @ BB’ at https://www.babybonus.msf.gov.sg/pages/home.aspx. For queries, email msf_babybonus@msf.gov.sg.

• 1. How and when will the extended Baby Support Grant (BSG) be given out?

  The Ministry of Social and Family Development will notify you when the extended BSG is disbursed in the second half of 2023. The BSG will be automatically deposited into the same bank account that you use to receive the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, after you have enrolled your child into the Baby Bonus Scheme. 

• 1. Do I need to apply for the migrant domestic worker levy concession? How do I apply for the migrant domestic worker levy concession?

  You do not need to apply for levy concession if:

  1) You or your spouse is at least 67 years old

  2) Your child is below 16 years old

  If you do not belong to any of the above groups, you may refer to MOM's website on how to apply for levy concession.
  

• 1. What can the MediSave Grant for Newborns cover, and how can it be used?

  The MediSave Grant for Newborns can be used in the same way as other monies in your child’s MediSave Account. This includes MediShield Life premiums, recommended childhood vaccinations, hospitalisation, and approved outpatient treatments.

  For more details on the uses of MediSave, please visit the ‘MediSave withdrawal limits’ section on MOH’s website.

• 2. Is my child eligible for the MediSave Grant for Newborns?

  All Singapore Citizen newborns born on or after 26 August 2012 are eligible for the MediSave Grant for Newborns (MGN). These include children who are adopted as well as children who are born to divorced or unwed mothers. Children who are born overseas can qualify for the grant upon registering their birth with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) directly, or through the Singapore Mission Overseas. Newborns who are Permanent Residents (PRs) or foreigners are not eligible.

   

  Those born on or after 26 August 2012, but before 1 January 2015 are eligible for a grant of $3,000, while those born on or after 1 January 2015 are eligible for the enhanced MGN of $4,000.

   

  If the child is not a Singapore Citizen at birth, the MGN amount will depend on the date that the child becomes a Singapore Citizen. Individuals who obtain Singapore Citizenship after the age of 2 are not eligible for the grant.

   

  The Central Provident Fund Board will inform parents of the applicable amount in the notification letter that will be sent after the grant has been deposited in the child’s MediSave account.

• 3. Do I need to apply for the MediSave Grant for Newborns for my child?

  No. All eligible newborns will receive the grant automatically after birth registration. You will receive a notification letter after the grant has been deposited, and may check your child’s CPF statement online by logging in with your Singpass at cpf.gov.sg/childdashboard.  

  If your child is born overseas, you can register his or her birth with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority directly, or through the relevant Overseas Missions.  

  If your child is eligible but did not receive the grant a week after registering his or her birth, please write to the Central Provident Fund Board at cpf.gov.sg/writetous.

• 4. When will my newborn receive the MediSave Grant for Newborns?

  The grant will be credited to your newborn’s MediSave account within a week from the registration of birth¹, or from the date when Singapore Citizenship was granted². You will receive a notification letter after the grant has been deposited, and may check your child’s CPF statement online by logging in with your Singpass at cpf.gov.sg/childdashboard.
  
  If your child is eligible but did not receive the grant, please write to the Central Provident Fund Board at cpf.gov.sg/writetous.

  ¹If your child is a Singapore Citizen at birth.
  ²If your child is a Singapore Citizen by registration.

• 5. Can I withdraw my child's MediSave Grant for Newborns in cash?

  No, the grant is deposited into your child’s MediSave account, and MediSave savings cannot be withdrawn in cash as these are meant to cover your child’s healthcare expenses. Additionally, the MediSave account earns an attractive 4% per annum interest, which will help your child build up his or her MediSave balance to meet future healthcare needs. 

• 6. Can my child receive the MediSave Grant for Newborns if he or she obtains Singapore Citizenship after birth?

  If your child is not a Singapore Citizen at birth but converted to a Singapore Citizen before he or she turns 2 years of age, your child is eligible to receive the grant. The grant amount will depend on the date that he or she becomes a Singapore Citizen. The Central Provident Fund Board will inform you of the applicable amount in a notification letter that will be sent after the grant has been deposited in your child’s MediSave account.

• 7. If the parents of the child divorce subsequently, would the child have to return the MediSave Grant for Newborns?

  No, grant eligibility is not affected by the parents’ marital status.

• 8. How can I check my child's MediSave balance?

  You can check your child’s MediSave balance by logging in with your Singpass to my cpf Online Services if he/she is below 21 years old and has a CPF account. Click here for more information.

• 9. Who can I contact for additional queries regarding the MediSave Grant for Newborns?

  You can contact the Central Provident Fund Board by writing to them at cpf.gov.sg/writetous.

• 1. How do I apply for preschool subsidies?

  All applications for the Basic and Additional Subsidy (for childcare and infant care) and KiFAS (for kindergarten) should be made through your preschool centre. The centre will provide you with the application form.

• 2. How will I receive the subsidies?

  The subsidies will be disbursed directly to your preschool centre. You will just need to pay the net fees after subsidy.

• 3. Is there additional help for larger families with many elderly or young dependents?

  Yes, larger families (five or more members) with three or more dependents can have their income assessed on a Per Capita Income basis for their Additional Subsidy or KiFAS application.

• 4. Am I eligible for the Additional Subsidy if my child is enrolled in half-day and flexi-care programmes in childcare and infant care centres?

  Yes. Subsidies for half-day and flexi-care programmes in childcare and infant care centres are available. Details can be found on the Early Childhood Development Agency’s website at https://www.ecda.gov.sg/parents/subsidies-financial-assistance