Baby Bonus Scheme: what your child gets and what replaces it
In this article
The Baby Bonus Scheme is Singapore's main payout for new parents. LifeSG says it gives you two things: the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, and Child Development Account (CDA) benefits. For a citizen child born on or after 14 February 2023, LifeSG puts the total at $20,000 for a first child, rising to $38,000 for a fifth. The SG Child Support Package replaces it from April 2027.
| 1st child | $20,000 in total |
|---|---|
| 2nd child | $23,000 in total |
| 3rd and 4th child | $32,000 in total |
| 5th child and later | $38,000 in total |
| How to join | With birth registration on LifeSG |
| Replaced by | The SG Child Support Package, payouts from April 2027 |
The two halves of the Baby Bonus Scheme
LifeSG describes the scheme as part of the Marriage and Parenthood Package. The first half is the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, cash you can spend freely, deposited every 6 months until your child is 6.5. The second half is the CDA, a co-savings account that receives a First Step Grant without you saving first, plus an extra dollar for every dollar you deposit, up to a cap.
The totals in the table count the full matching, so they assume you save up to the cap. For a first child, LifeSG's $20,000 is the $11,000 Cash Gift, the $5,000 grant and up to $4,000 of matching. The $32,000 and $38,000 figures use the $10,000 First Step Grant, which LifeSG says is for third and later children born from 18 February 2025.
Who can join
LifeSG says your child is eligible if they are 12 or younger, a Singapore citizen at birth or before turning 12, and have parents who are lawfully married. What you actually receive then depends on birth order, the citizenship date, and your marital and citizenship status.
The CDA reaches a little further than the Cash Gift. LifeSG says children of single unwed parents born on or after 1 September 2016 can get the First Step Grant. If your situation is unusual, LifeSG has a short eligibility questionnaire by birth year.
How to enrol your child
- Register the birth on LifeSG with Singpass. For a citizen child born in Singapore, LifeSG folds the Baby Bonus application into birth registration.
- Pick POSB/DBS, OCBC or UOB for the CDA and the Child Savings Account.
- Wait for the email and LifeSG inbox message, then open both accounts in your bank's app or internet banking.
Already registered the birth, adopting, or newly a citizen? LifeSG's Apply for Baby Bonus service covers children under 12. Whoever applies becomes the CDA trustee by default, so decide which parent that is before you submit.
What replaces the Baby Bonus Scheme
LifeSG says the SG Child Support Package, announced at the 2026 National Day Rally, will replace the Baby Bonus Scheme and the Large Families Scheme. Until its payouts start in April 2027, you still enrol in Baby Bonus as usual, and enrolled children move to the Package automatically.
The biggest change is birth order. Under the Package, LifeSG says every citizen child gets the same support whatever their place in the family, so the tiers in the table end for babies born from 1 April 2027. Our Baby Bonus and support guide puts the two schemes side by side, and the Baby Bonus calculator works out your own child's payments.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for Baby Bonus now?
Yes. LifeSG says you can keep applying for the Baby Bonus Scheme, and children enrolled in it move to the SG Child Support Package automatically.
How long does Baby Bonus enrolment take?
If you applied with birth registration, LifeSG says you get an update within 7 to 10 working days after the birth certificate is issued. A separate application for an already registered child is usually answered by the next working day.
Do twins count as one child for Baby Bonus?
No. Made For Families says multiple births count as separate birth orders, so the first twin is your first child and the second twin your second.
Who do I call about Baby Bonus?
LifeSG lists the hotline as 1800 111 2222, or +65 6253 7707 from overseas, on weekdays from 8.30am to 6pm and Saturdays from 8.30am to 1pm.
Related terms
- Baby Bonus Cash Gift: Cash paid every six months until your child is 6.5: $11,000 or $13,000, stopping after 31 March 2027.
- CDA (Child Development Account): Your child's savings account that the Government tops up with a grant and matched savings, for approved preschool and clinic bills.
- CDA First Step Grant: A one-off $5,000 or $10,000 the Government puts into your child's CDA, with no saving needed first.
- CDA Government Co-Matching: The dollar the Government adds to your child's CDA for each dollar you save, up to a cap set by birth order.
- SG Child Support Package: The scheme replacing Baby Bonus from April 2027: up to $62,000 per citizen child, the same for every birth order.
