CDA First Step Grant: how much your child gets and when it lands
In this article
The CDA First Step Grant is a one-off sum the Government deposits into your child's Child Development Account without you saving anything first, and LifeSG says it lands within 2 weeks of the account opening. You can spend it straight away. It is $5,000 for a first or second child, while a third or later child born from 18 February 2025 gets $10,000 under the Large Families Scheme.
| 1st or 2nd child | $5,000 |
|---|---|
| 3rd or later, born from 18 Feb 2025 | $10,000 |
| Born from 1 Apr 2027 | $5,000 for every child |
| Arrives | Within 2 weeks of the CDA opening |
| Your deposit | None needed |
| Use it at | Baby Bonus Approved Institutions |
Which children qualify for the grant
LifeSG gives two eligibility lines: Singapore citizen children born on or after 24 March 2016, and children of single unwed parents born on or after 1 September 2016. Your child also has to be enrolled in the Baby Bonus Scheme with a CDA opened, because the grant is paid into that account.
For the $10,000 version, the Large Families Scheme page on LifeSG adds the conditions: a third or subsequent child, a Singapore citizen, born on or after 18 February 2025. The full $10,000 is paid if at least one parent was a citizen when the child was born. If both parents were not, and the child becomes a citizen later, the amount is pro-rated.
When the money reaches the account
Nothing is paid until the account exists, so the grant follows a short chain of steps:
- Enrol in Baby Bonus, usually as part of birth registration on LifeSG.
- Open the CDA through POSB/DBS, OCBC or UOB once the instructions reach your email and LifeSG inbox.
- The grant is deposited automatically, LifeSG says, within 2 weeks of the opening, excluding public holidays.
So if the account sits unopened for three months, the money is three months late too, which is why it pays to open it the week the instructions arrive.
What changes for the grant in April 2027
Under the SG Child Support Package, LifeSG says citizen children born on or after 1 April 2027 get a one-off $5,000, deposited automatically once the CDA is opened. Children born from 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2027 keep the amount the old schemes gave them.
CPF says the increased First Step Grant for large families will cease from April 2027. On the dates LifeSG gives, a third child born on 31 March 2027 would still qualify for $10,000, and one born on 1 April 2027 gets $5,000.
What you can spend the grant on
LifeSG says no initial deposit is needed to receive or use the grant, so it can pay a preschool registration fee or a clinic bill in the first months. It can only be spent at Baby Bonus Approved Institutions. For large families, LifeSG says the $10,000 can cover preschool and healthcare costs for the child and the brothers and sisters too.
The grant is separate from CDA matching, which only rewards money you deposit yourself. Our CDA calculator adds the two together for your child, and the CDA guide explains the rest of the account.
Frequently asked questions
What is a first step grant?
It is the starting deposit in your child's CDA: $5,000 for most children, paid by the Government with no matching savings needed from you.
My third child was born in January 2025, so is the grant $10,000?
No. LifeSG says the increase to $10,000 is for third and subsequent children born from 18 February 2025. A child born before that date gets $5,000.
Is the First Step Grant the same as co-matching?
No. The grant is free and automatic. Co-matching only pays when you deposit money, a dollar for each dollar, up to your child's cap.
Do I get the grant if my child's CDA is opened late?
Yes. LifeSG says the grant is paid within 2 weeks of the account opening, so a CDA opened late simply gets its grant later.
Related terms
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
