The Singapore government plans to overhaul the country’s childcare leave scheme. The changes were announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally 2026, which means parents will have a common set of childcare schemes, instead of the current Childcare Leave and Extended Childcare Leave schemes.
The new system makes entitlements clearer and more meaningful, while offering more care to bigger families based on the number of qualifying Singapore Citizen children (12 and below).
How Many Days of Childcare Leave Can Parents Get?
The amended regime involves parents (where both parents are working) who are eligible to receive a leave entitlement each year depending on the number of qualifying children in the family.
For those parents of one or more qualifying children they receive 8 Days of Childcare leave for every 12 months. The families with two or more qualifying children get 10 days for each parent yearly while parents with three or more qualifying children get 12 days per parent yearly, all the way up to the maximum.
In effect parents with 3 children (a working couple) might each have 8 child care days per year, allowing them more flexibility when children require care or attention.
What Has Changed From the Previous System?
The most significant difference is the elimination of the “younger child/older child” dichotomy. Typically, parents would get 6 days of Childcare Leave for a child who is aged six years or less and Extended Childcare Leave would allow for two more days for a child aged between seven and 12 years.
Both of these provisions are now merged to form one scheme for all eligible children up to age 12. This is designed to offer more stability when the children move to the Primary-school field, by which point parents are likely to require time off work for appointments, school issues and unforeseen requirements.
Government to Reimburse Employers Fully
The government is also shifting the burden of statutory child-related leave from employers. The new scheme will see the government pay the full salary for the full length of any certificate for child leave.
The change will lessen the financial strain on businesses and facilitate worker leave without an additional conflict. It could also spur employers to consider family leave a realistic component of workforce planning.
What About Self-Employed Parents?
The revised framework now includes self-employed parents. Eligible self-employed can claim lost net income for the days of childcare leave, rather than employers reimbursing.
Limits of liability for claims continue to remain as per the daily compensation limits. It is significant that when self-employed parents take a break from work to attend to their children, they tend to incur an actual reduction in their income.
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How Will Employers and Parents Make Claims?
The Government’s Government-Paid Leave claims system will allow employers and eligible self-employed to make a claim after the leave has been taken.
The exact implementing timetable, and the arrangements for the transitions, and detailed administrative procedures, however, remain to be spelled out by the respective Government bodies. It is therefore advisable for employees to check for official clarity, instead of depending on specific dates and/or procedures.
FAQs
Who is eligible for the additional child care leave?
Eligible working parents with Singapore Citizen children 12 and below are now covered by the revised scheme, except under detailed rules that would be detailed for their implementation.
What is the leave of the parent who has two children?
Under the new arrangements, the parent with 2 eligible children gets 10 days of childcare leave per year.
What will be the highest yearly allotment?
For three or more qualifying children the maximum for childcare leave will be 12 days for each parent during a calendar year.
