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SINGAPORE: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a one-time grant of S $ 3,000 will be awarded to parents of babies born from October 1 this year to September 30, 2022, it was announced on Friday (October 9) .
Baby Support Grant will provide additional support to help couples “defray the costs of raising children during these extraordinary times,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) said in a statement. press.
The baby support grant will complement the existing baby bonus cash gift, which is worth up to S $ 10,000. The grant is also in addition to the marriage and parenting package.
This announcement also follows Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat’s comments in a ministerial statement earlier this week that the government will introduce one-time additional support for newborns after receiving comments that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to some people put off their parenting plans.
“This pandemic has not been easy for Singaporeans planning to marry and start a family. The government will spare no effort to help couples fulfill their aspirations for marriage and parenthood, ”said PMO Minister Indranee Rajah, who oversees the NPTD.
READ: The government will provide more support to newborns as COVID-19 puts some parents in a difficult situation
“Supporting Singaporeans in fulfilling their plans to marry and raise a family is a key national priority,” the press release said.
“The Government’s Marriage and Paternity Package offers a comprehensive set of support measures, which have been progressively improved since 2001.
“The latest round of improvements in 2019/2020 has improved the affordability and accessibility of early childhood education, made housing more affordable for first-time HDB home buyers, and provided additional health care support for children and couples. “.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought “unprecedented challenges to life and livelihoods,” and some couples have indicated they will postpone their life plans to focus on their financial stability and job prospects, the NPTD said.
“Since age affects fertility, marrying and having children later can result in families not being able to have the number of children they hope to have,” added the NPTD.
The baby support grant will be deposited into the same bank account the parents designated when they enroll their child in the baby bonus program and their cash gift. Parents will receive the Baby Support Grant beginning April 1, 2021, or within one month of enrollment in the Baby Bonus Program, whichever is later.
A “MORE IMPULSE” FOR COUPLES: INDRANEE
Speaking to the media on a virtual door following her visit to a Mothercare store in Harbourfront Center, Ms Indranee said the government supports the aspirations of Singaporeans who want to get married and have children.
“We know that many Singaporeans aspire to marry, to have children, and the Government supports these aspirations, and we believe that society should also encourage the formation of strong families because families are our basic unit of society, and we want them to be strong, so that we have a strong Singapore, ”he said.
Ms. Indranee noted that the Government has improved its support for marriage and parenting over the years on “many different fronts.”
“Each year, the Marriage and Paternity Package costs the government around S $ 4 billion. Of which, more than S $ 1 billion is destined to subsidize the cost of preschool education, “he added, explaining that the Baby Support Grant will be an” additional boost “for couples.
Given the other measures that already exist to support parents, Ms. Indranee said that the amount of S $ 3,000 was decided considering the package of measures in its “entirety”.
“We looked at it and said, ‘What can we do to add and provide some additional assistance that is meaningful?’” He told reporters.
“And we thought that S $ 3000 would be a number that would be useful … At the same time, you should also keep in mind that (the) Government has been providing a lot of help for many other things like the Labor Support Scheme, the COVID support grant -19, many other things we are doing too; so we look at it in its entirety. “
Ms Indranee also noted that the two-year period would be “reasonable”, and the government will carry out a review at the end of the plan to see if it remains “relevant and useful”.
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