National Day Rally 2026: Singapore parents to get up to 12 days of childcare leave as family support expands

Working parents can look forward to receiving more childcare leave as part of a major expansion of support for Singapore families, announced Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on 23 August 2026 at the National Day Rally 2026.

According to the Prime Minister, childcare leave would be increased and tied to the number of children a working parent has.

Under the new arrangement, every working parent with a child aged up to 12 will receive eight days of childcare leave.

Those with two children will receive 10 days, while those with three or more will receive 12 days to be utilised for all their children.

Currently, each working parent receives six days of childcare leave if their youngest child is aged six or below, or two days if their youngest child is aged seven to 12, regardless of the number of children they have.

The Government will also cover the cost of all statutory child-related leave.

Currently, the cost of such leave is shared between the Government and employers, with a reimbursement limit of $1,000 to $1,500 per year.

NTUC and Labour MPs had called for more childcare leave and support for employers

The announcement reflects earlier calls from the Labour Movement to review childcare leave so working parents receive greater support as their families grow.

In February 2025, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General MP Yeo Wan Ling called on the Government to review whether the existing six days of Government-Paid Childcare Leave were sufficient to meet families’ growing caregiving needs.

She also called for support for smaller firms that may face manpower and cash-flow challenges when employees take parental leave.

Ms Yeo highlighted that smaller businesses may not have sufficient manpower to cover the duties of employees taking parental leave. She added that colleagues may have to absorb the work, and employers may face cash-flow pressure while waiting for reimbursements.

She called for the Government to help employers operationalise family-friendly leave so that workers could take their entitlements with peace of mind.

NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Choo also proposed earlier increasing childcare leave for families with more than one child, along with a broader review of the costs faced by young couples and larger families.

Prime Minister Wong calls for parents to be supported at work

Mr Wong also urged employers to support parents taking childcare leave and help them readjust when they return to work.

He said: “Support parents in your organisations and give them confidence to take the leave they are entitled to. Help them settle back into work afterwards. Make sure that becoming a parent never becomes a disadvantage in someone’s career.”

Mr Wong added that parents who feel supported are better able to give their best at home and at work.

His call reflects NTUC’s longstanding position that family support must extend beyond financial assistance and statutory entitlements.

Labour MPs have advocated a broader ecosystem that includes flexible work arrangements, support for employees returning from career breaks and redesigned jobs that allow workers to balance career progression with caregiving.

Mr Choo previously called on companies to offer structured career breaks and returnship programmes combining upskilling, on-the-job training and mentorship.

He also proposed redesigning higher-level jobs to allow flexible or reduced working hours, as well as reduced-workload options for mothers.

Ms Yeo similarly called for stronger return-to-work support for mothers and described a family-friendly ecosystem as one that supports working parents, caregivers and employers.

Lower childcare and infant-care fees for Singapore families

Mr Wong said the Government also plans to make government-supported preschools more affordable.

The Government aims to progressively lower full-day childcare fees to $150 a month and infant-care fees to $300 a month for every Singaporean child, regardless of household income.

Lower-income families will continue to receive additional subsidies and pay less.

Families can currently pay close to $600 a month for full-day childcare and more than $1,000 a month for infant care, according to PM Wong.

Mr Wong said the Government will take a few years to implement fee reductions because it must first expand the network of government-supported preschool operators.

He added the Government will support operators that want to join the network and meet its requirements.

He said: “Our goal is clear. Quality, affordable preschool should be within every family's budget, and easily accessible in every neighbourhood.

“Because every child in Singapore, regardless of their family’s circumstances, deserves a good start in life.”

Workers will be supported through technological change

Beyond support for families, Mr Wong also set out how Singapore would manage the effect of new technology on jobs.

The Government intends to scale up autonomous vehicles after the technology has been proven, in response to growing transport needs and manpower constraints.

Mr Wong said it has been increasingly difficult to recruit bus captains, while two-thirds of taxi drivers are already aged 60 and above.

However, he acknowledged that autonomous vehicles are a major concern for taxi and private-hire drivers whose livelihoods depend on driving.

He said adoption would be progressive and would not be allowed to outpace Singapore’s ability to retrain and support affected drivers, as they move into new jobs.

He said: “We do not hold back new technologies simply because they are disruptive. But neither do we leave affected workers to fend for themselves.

“We support our workers through the transition. We will ensure that every worker shares in the fruits of Singapore’s progress.”

Technology and productivity to drive Singapore’s growth

Mr Wong said Singapore would continue to manage the size of its foreign workforce carefully.

He said while foreign manpower will continue to complement the local workforce and support the economy, the Government does not intend to broadly ease foreign-worker policies, especially in the services sector.

Mr Wong added: “Going forward, more of our growth must come from technology and productivity, and from enabling every Singaporean to realise their full potential.”

NTUC’s Downtown South resort to be built on Pulau Brani

Mr Wong also confirmed that NTUC will build its new Downtown South resort on Pulau Brani as part of the future transformation of Brani and Sentosa.

Land will be reclaimed to connect the two islands better, forming an integrated destination along Singapore’s southern waterfront.

Mr Wong said: “Together, Sentosa and Brani will become one integrated destination – they will transform our southern waterfront and offer even more for Singaporeans and visitors to see, do and enjoy.”

Former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first announced Downtown South in his National Day Rally 2019 speech.