CDA account: how Singapore's Child Development Account works
In this article
A CDA account, short for Child Development Account, is a savings account in your child's name that the Government tops up. LifeSG says it gets a one-off First Step Grant without you saving first, then a dollar of co-matching for every dollar you deposit, up to a cap. The money can only be spent at Approved Institutions, such as preschools and clinics, and cannot be withdrawn as cash.
| Bank | POSB/DBS, OCBC or UOB, opened after Baby Bonus enrolment |
|---|---|
| First Step Grant | $5,000, or $10,000 for a 3rd or later child born from 18 Feb 2025 |
| Matching cap now | $4,000, $7,000, $9,000 or $15,000 by birth order |
| From 1 Oct 2027 | Every matching cap becomes $5,000 |
| Spend at | Approved Institutions only, never as cash |
| Closes | End of the year your child turns 16, for children born from 2015 |
What CDA money can pay for
LifeSG groups the approved uses by the kind of Approved Institution:
- Childcare centres and kindergartens: registration fees, programme fees and deposits.
- Childminding operators: the childminding fees, but not diapers, deposits or meals.
- Medical institutions: treatment and medicine prescribed by a doctor employed there.
- Special education schools and early intervention centres: the approved fees.
- Assistive technology providers: buying, renting or repairing devices recommended by a health practitioner, allied health professional or social worker.
According to Made For Families, the CDA can pay for any of your children at these places, even a sibling who has no CDA of their own. You pay with the Baby Bonus NETS card or by interbank GIRO, and the card will not work at other shops or at ATMs.
How much the Government puts in
The Government adds money in two ways: the First Step Grant, which arrives within 2 weeks of the account opening, and co-matching, credited within 2 weeks of each deposit you make. LifeSG puts the most the Government can add at $9,000 for a first child, $12,000 for a second, $19,000 for a third or fourth and $25,000 from the fifth, counting the $10,000 grant for third and later children born from 18 February 2025.
LifeSG's SG Child Support Package page sets an end date for those caps: you can save up to your child's existing cap until 30 September 2027, and every cap becomes $5,000 from 1 October 2027. Babies born from 1 April 2027 start with a $5,000 grant and a $5,000 cap.
How to open a CDA account
You cannot open one at the bank counter first. LifeSG says you enrol your child in the Baby Bonus Scheme, usually during birth registration, then follow the email and LifeSG inbox message to open the CDA and the Child Savings Account together in your bank's app or website.
Each bank has its own rules, and LifeSG lists them: new POSB/DBS customers without a local address cannot apply. At UOB, citizens without a local address and foreigners must open the accounts in person with a Letter of Authorisation from MSF. The parent who registers the birth or applies for Baby Bonus becomes the CDA trustee, and you can check the balance in Family View on the Parent Portal with Singpass.
When the CDA closes
The rule has just changed, and not every official page has caught up. LifeSG's CDA page still says you can save into and use the CDA until 31 December of the year your child turns 12. LifeSG's newer SG Child Support Package page says that for citizen children born on or after 1 January 2015, the CDA stays open until the end of the year the child turns 16.
Either way, unused money moves to your child's Post-Secondary Education Account, up to its cap, and LifeSG says any excess is refunded through your child's PayNow, so set that up early. Our CDA guide has worked examples, and the Baby Bonus calculator shows how the CDA fits with the cash payouts.
Frequently asked questions
What does the abbreviation CDA mean for parents?
For parents it almost always means the Child Development Account, the savings account under the Baby Bonus Scheme. The Communicable Diseases Agency, which runs vaccination pages at cda.gov.sg, shares the initials.
Can I withdraw cash from my child's CDA?
No. LifeSG says CDA funds can only be used at Approved Institutions and cannot be withdrawn as cash.
Do I have to put money in to open a CDA?
No. Made For Families says there is no requirement to deposit or to save up to the cap. You only get matching on what you put in.
Is the bank interest on a CDA matched?
No. Made For Families says interest earned is not counted as your contribution, and savings above the cap are not matched either.
Related terms
- 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.
- Baby Bonus Scheme: Singapore's parenthood payout: a Cash Gift plus a Child Development Account, replaced by the SG Child Support Package from April 2027.
- 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.
- 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.
