Last Updated on January 10, 2023 by Parentology

If you’re here, you might be researching the costs of having children in expensive Singapore. No matter how much happiness your little bundle of joy gives you, parents are beginning to consider the price of having children in Singapore and finding that they can be prohibitive without help. This is why the Singaporean government has released multiple programmes to support couples in having more children – the Baby Bonus Scheme Singapore is the most well-known of them all.

It’s part of the Marriage and Parenthood Package and was enhanced once again in February 2021 to increase the level of support for parents.

Two parts of the MSF Baby Bonus Scheme are especially relevant for new parents:

• the baby bonus cash gift and
• the baby bonus Child Development Account (CDA) benefits

 

The Baby Bonus Cash Gift

A cash gift is provided to new parents, with the first instalment (out of 5) being provided within 7 – 10 days of your baby’s birth registration or after completing the online form (whichever is later). This gift is meant to help offset the expenses of having a new child and is often used to pay for newborn-related necessities. This baby bonus cash gift stays the same even during COVID.

The cash gifts amounts you are entitled to are listed as follows:

Child Order	Born between 26 Aug 2012 and 31 Dec 2014 (for each child)	Born on or after 1 Jan 2015 (for each child)
1st & 2nd Child	$6,000	$8,000
3rd & 4th Child	$8,000	$10,000
5th and higher	$0	$10,000

 

The cash gift baby bonus payout is provided in 5 instalments over 18 months in the following way:

	Baby Bonus Cash Gift Payout
	First and Second Birth Orders	Third and Subsequent Birth Orders
Within 7 to 10 working days from birth registration or joining the scheme, whichever is later	$3,000	$4,000
When the child turns 6 months old	$1,500	$2,000
When the child turns 12 months old	$1,500	$2,000
When the child turns 15 months old	$1,000	$1,000
When the child turns 18 months old	$1,000	$1,000
Total	$8,000	$10,000

 

The Baby Bonus CDA Account

The Child Development Account Singapore is essentially a savings account that is set up specifically for your child. This is done automatically, within 3-5 working days of their birth registration or after you fill out the online form, so you will not need to visit the bank. It can be opened with DBS, OCBC, or UOB in Singapore, so your CDA account login is also from your bank’s infrastructure and the Child Development Account top-up is as easy as adding money into the account. Money from this account can be spent on educational and healthcare needs for your child, including payments for school and healthcare. Child Development Account uses are aplenty; they can be used at Baby Bonus Approved Institutions (BBAIs) in Singapore, which include:

• Child Care Centres
• Kindergartens
• Special education schools
• Providers of early intervention programmes
• Providers of assistive technology devices
• Hospitals and clinics
• Pharmacies
• Optical shops

 

Crucially, CDA account usage also covers MediShield insurance premiums as well as MediSave-approved plans in Singapore that are administered by other insurance agencies.

The account lasts until your child turns twelve, at which point it is automatically converted into a different account called the Post-Secondary Educational Account (PSEA).

The first part of CDA benefits is called the CDA First Step Grant of $3,000. This is an amount of money that is automatically credited to your child’s CDA when you open it and does not require any deposit to receive.

The second part of CDA Singapore benefits is the government co-matching, which is matched within the first two weeks. For every dollar you place into your child’s CDA account, the government will match it up to the co-matching cap. If you do not manage to reach this cap by the year your child turns twelve, the CDA matching will continue with the PSEA that is opened afterwards until the cap is met.

Here is a summary of the co-matching caps and the total benefits you receive for your children.

Birth Order	CDA components		Total CDA Benefits
	First Step Grant (no initial deposit from parents required)1	Maximum Government co-matching
1st Child	$3,000	Up to $3,000	Up to $6,000
2nd Child2		Up to $6,000	Up to $9,000
3rd & 4th Child		Up to $9,000	Up to $12,000
5th child and higher		Up to $15,000	Up to $18,000

 

Because CDAs are for the children, infants of unwed parents or single parents are still eligible to receive CDA benefits and will do so as well. The specifics of this are covered below.

 

Baby Bonus Eligibility

You can simply check your eligibility with the MSF’s eligibility calculator, but a summary of it is outlined as follows:

For the cash gift, you must fulfill the following criteria:

1. The child is born on or after 1 January 2015.
2. The child is a Singapore Citizen, and
3. The child’s parents are lawfully married

For the CDA benefits, you must fulfil the following criteria:

1. The child is born on or after 24 March 2016.
2. The child is a Singapore Citizen, and
3. The child’s parents are lawfully married

But wait–what about single parents or unwed parents? Do the children not receive benefits?

They do! Children of unwed single mothers are eligible for CDA benefits if they are born after 1 September 2016. However:

• They are not eligible for the cash gift, and
• This only applies to single mothers and does not include single fathers.

Parents of the child who get married after the birth may also apply for Baby Bonus once they are married and as long as the other criteria are also fulfilled. Adoptive parents may also apply for the Baby Bonus Scheme once the adoption process is completed.

 

How do I join the Baby Bonus Scheme?

Parents may pre-register to join the Baby Bonus Scheme as early as 2 months before your estimated delivery date or after your child’s birth registration. They must join the scheme before the year they turn 12.

The registration form can be found on the Baby Bonus Online website, as outlined below.

 

Other things I should know

All of your transactions, paperwork, etc. that will take place in regards to the Baby Bonus Scheme will take place on Baby Bonus Online, a dedicated portal for everything in regards to the Baby Bonus Scheme under the purview of the Ministry of Social and Family Development. You will log in with your SingPass, and fill out any relevant forms including the initial baby bonus application for the Scheme! The Baby Bonus login can be found here.

The Baby Bonus hotline can also be reached at 1800-111-2222 locally.

We hope this information serves as a great aid in you should you be looking at finding an understanding on the scheme!