Speech by Minister Indranee Rajah on Structuring Singapore for Flourishing Families

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Ms Elysa Chen for her Adjournment Motion on this important topic. Indeed, many of her observations are consistent with feedback we have received regarding marriage and parenthood. 

Introduction
Let me first give a quick update on the Marriage and Parenthood or M&P Reset Workgroup. Since the Workgroup was announced, many Singaporeans have come forward to share their suggestions and lived experiences, and we have also conducted many engagements.

Across these conversations, what is clear is that Singaporeans do value family, relationships and meaningful connections. However, they also encounter challenges and practical realities in pursuit of their Marriage and Parenthood aspirations.

Recently released statistics on marriage and parenthood have also sharpened our urgency to act. Last year, there were about 24,700 registered marriages, a 6.2% drop from 2024. Singapore recorded about 26,100 citizen births in 2025, a 10.8% decrease from 29,200 in 2024. 

Hence, the Workgroup’s focus is to see how we can better support Singaporeans across the whole Marriage and Parenthood journey. To that end, we are developing a long-term roadmap to strengthen support for marriage and parenthood, mobilise whole-of-society action, and support a broader societal reset.

Ms Chen has insightfully identified some of the key issues that influence M&P decisions which are – time, care, work, and housing. Let me share how we are approaching these.

Work-Life
First, work-life. Ms Chen called for more leave days to address the scarcity of time and the challenges faced by parents in managing work and caregiving commitments. Other Members in this House, on both sides of the House,  and members of public have also called for more leave days, such as childcare leave for those with more children or older children to cover school closure days and exigencies.

We recently enhanced our parental leave provisions such that working parents now have a total of 30 weeks of paid parental leave to care for and bond with their infants. We are actively working on how we can provide more protected time for working parents, while managing the impact on business operations. We are engaging Tripartite Partners on this. 

However, providing leave alone is not enough. Workplace culture and norms have a strong impact on how well-supported parents feel at work, and whether they are able to utilise their statutory leave provisions. Line managers and supervisors in particular, can make all the difference as they are the ones who approve such leave. How they do so and whether well managed covering arrangements are in place can make a big difference.

Flexible work arrangements or FWAs are a key form of support. We implemented the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests in December 2024, and will continue to work with Tripartite Partners to foster work-life friendly practices, and support employers in implementing them well.

 While many associate FWAs with working from home, it is also much broader than that. There is also flexi-time and flexi-load. A recent CNA article found that flexi-time and flexi-load may matter much more for parents as it gives them the space to manage their work schedules in ways that best meet their responsibilities at work and at home. We will continue to push for these flexible arrangements to support parents better.

To Ms Chen’s point on job redesign and part-time work, employers can tap on the Productivity Solutions Grant to offset the costs of adopting FWAs, and the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) to engage consultancy services to support enterprise job redesign.  They can also benefit from FWA implementation resources and training by Tripartite Partners and the Institute of Human Resource Professionals or IHRP, to better implement work-life friendly practices.  

Ms Chen also highlighted the challenges parents face in returning to work after parental leave, or after taking a temporary career break to focus on caring for their children. We agree that this is an important area that needs to be tackled.

We have been enhancing measures to support career transitions, employment facilitation and reskilling. Examples include:

 a.   Skills and Workforce Development Agency’s HerCareer initiative for women jobseekers, and career advisory and skills training offered by SWDA and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute or e2i.

 b.   Jobseekers can also tap on Career Conversion Programmes and the Mid-Career Pathways Programme, to improve their employability and be placed in a new role.

We are exploring how we can better support returning parents beyond these current initiatives.

Employers can also support parents by providing family-friendly infrastructure and amenities. For example, they can support breastfeeding mothers by tapping on NTUC’s Better Workplace Programmes to set up proper lactation spaces, or BCA’s Accessibility Fund to retrofit their premises with universal design features, including lactation facilities.

Housing
On housing, we agree with Ms Chen that housing is an important determinant in M&P. We currently provide larger families a range of housing options to meet their need for more space. 

a.    For example, multi-generation families may apply for 3Gen flats, which are specifically designed for extended families who wish to live under one roof.

 b.    Flat owners may also apply to combine two adjoining 3-room or smaller flats under the Conversion of Adjoining Flats Scheme.

We also recently enhanced the Third Child Priority Scheme, which gives priority in BTO and SBF exercises to eligible families with three or more children.

We are exploring what more we can do and will study Ms Chen’s suggestions as part of the Workgroup.

Healthcare
Ms Chen also mentioned Elective Egg Freezing or EEF. Today, women can already receive Government subsidies and tap on MediSave for egg freezing done on medical grounds, for example, to preserve fertility before undergoing cancer treatment.

The Workgroup will review the Member’s suggestion to provide financing support for EEF, and consider ways to reduce the cost of fertility tests and treatments.

 We will also study her suggestions on postpartum support.

Caregiving
Ms Chen also highlighted the importance of enhancing care infrastructure.

a.    Over the past decade, the number of full-day infant care places has nearly tripled, while the number of full-day childcare places nearly doubled. At the end of last year, we achieved our commitment of ensuring that 80% of preschoolers can have a place in a government-supported preschool.

 b.    We have also enhanced preschool affordability for all. The industry median childcare fee before means-tested subsidies has fallen to $680 last year, compared to $760 in 2021.

Applicants who are not working due to extenuating circumstances and need full-day childcare, can apply for special approval to receive subsidy support equivalent to what a working applicant can receive.

 We will do more to support parents in caregiving, and will take Ms Chen’ suggestions into account.

 On ECDA’s infant childminding pilot, feedback from parents and childminders so far has been positive. The pilot concludes next year. We will review the learnings from the pilot in considering additional moves, and will bear Ms Chen’s suggestions in mind.  

Supporting M&P as a Shared National Effort
Over and above policy moves, support for M&P must be a whole of society effort. The Workgroup is looking at how we can bring on board all segments of society to participate in this.

I am heartened that various groups will put forth their suggestions to the Workgroup, such as the joint White Paper on fertility and human development by NUS Medicine and the Population Association of Singapore, and the PAP Women’s Wing. We will study the recommendations closely.

In the coming months, we will continue to engage widely across society, with Singaporeans, businesses and community partners. We invite all Singaporeans to be part of this Reset: to contribute their ideas, lend their support, and help shape a Singapore where families are not only supported, but can truly flourish.

Thank you.