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BTO priority, more childcare leave and cash gifts announced for new parents

SINGAPORE — To address Singapore’s falling birth rate, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced a slew of enhancements to the Marriage & Parenthood Package.

SINGAPORE — To address Singapore’s falling birth rate, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced a slew of enhancements to the Marriage & Parenthood Package. The enhancements complement existing measures and are budgeted at S$2 billion a year, up from the S$1.6 billion budget of the 2008 package. EASIER HOUSING ACCESS Married couples with children applying for a flat for the first time will now have priority allocation of Housing Development Board (HDB) flats under the Parenthood Priority Scheme (PPS) starting from the HDB Sales Exercise this month. Under the scheme, 30 per cent of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and 50 per cent of Sale of Balance Flats will be allocated to first-timer married couples with a citizen child aged 16 years and below at the point of flat allocation. This group can also rent a flat from the HDB under the new Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) while waiting for completion of their new flat. About 1,150 units of three to five room PPHS flats, will be launched at the end of the month in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Jurong West and Queenstown. Rentals will cost between S$800 and S$1,900 depending on flat type and location. SUPPORT FOR RAISING AND CARING FOR CHILDREN To help defray healthcare costs in raising a child, each citizen newborn will now have a Central Provident Fund (CPF) Medisave account with a grant of S$3,000 deposited in two tranches. From March, citizen newborns will be covered under MediShield from birth with no underwriting, which includes coverage for congenital and neonatal conditions as long as their parents do not opt them out. Citizen children born on or after Aug 26 last year will also be eligible for the enhanced Baby Bonus cash gift which will be disbursed more quickly, in three installments over 12 months following the child’s birth. Previously, the cash gift was disbursed in four installments over 18 months. The first and second child born to each couple will now receive S$6,000 each, and the third and fourth children will receive S$8,000. This is up from S$4,000 and S$6,000 respectively. Couples that need help conceiving will also benefit from the extension of co-funding to three frozen cycles. Previously, a maximum of only three fresh cycles was co-funded. The Ministry of Health will also be increasing co-funding for the Assisted Reproduction Technology co-funding scheme from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. WORK-LIFE HARMONY MEASURES Child care leave has also been extended to include an additional two days of paid child care leave annually if they have at least one child aged 7-12 years. Working fathers will now be entitled to one week of paid paternity leave starting in May and will also be entitled to share one week of the 16 weeks of maternity leave, subject to the mother’s agreement. From this month, working mothers not eligible for maternity leave can apply to receive the Government-Paid Maternity Benefit if they have been been employed for at least 90 days in the 12 months leading up to childbirth. Adoptive mothers with an adopted infant aged below 12 months will be legally entitled to four weeks of paid adoption leave. All enhancements will be implemented between January and May. Measures to address infant and child care fee affordability will be announced on Wednesday. “Addressing our falling birth rate requires a concerted effort beyond Government initiatives. We will continue to work within the community to strengthen positive attitudes towards family life. We hope that the enhanced Marriage & Parenthood measures will help create a more conducts environment for Singaporeans to set up families,” said DPM Teo.

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