Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Bill, which seeks to effect the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood measures that were announced at this year’s National Day Rally, and also to amend the Child Development Co-savings Act for greater operational clarity.
Enhanced measures warmly received, but couples giving birth in first quarter of 2025 will miss out
Sir, Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate reached a historic low of 0.97 in 2023. This reflects a broad societal trend that young Singaporeans want better familial support, before they commit to having children.
I am glad that the Government has, in response, made big moves to foster a more family-friendly Singapore. In particular, I have heard from young couples living in my constituency, Radin Mas, that they were most excited about:
I also welcome the new Shared Parental Benefit, a cash benefit-equivalent scheme for parents who are not eligible for the Shared Parental Leave due to their employment arrangements. This would ensure parity for those who work as short-term contract workers.
While the changes will help create a more family-friendly Singapore and encourage more couples to have more babies, one segment of couples have felt left out, as the changes will only take effect from 1 April 2025.
I am referring, of course, to couples who are already expecting, with their estimated delivery dates sometime between 1 January to 31 March 2025. I understand that Government schemes must start from a certain date, and there will inevitably be some that will be left out as a result.
But Sir, we will celebrate SG60 next year and those born in the first quarter of 2025 will be our first SG60 babies. I would therefore like to call on the Government to extend the enhanced marriage and parenthood measures to these parents.
I hope that the Government would accord parents whose children are born in the first quarter of 2025 with the Shared Parental Benefit, and provide them a cash benefit equivalent to two weeks’ worth of additional shared parental leave. This would mirror the additional two weeks of Government-paid paternity leave for fathers, and I am sure that couples with children to be born in the first quarter of 2025 would deeply appreciate this.
Proposed amendments beneficial for workers in the fractional economy
Sir, I also fully support the Ministry’s proposed amendments to clarify applicable limits on reimbursement and payment entitlements to be on a “per parent” basis, and to provide parents with multiple employments with an entitlement to paid leave with all their employers.
This reflects the broader trend of fractional work, where an employee works for multiple employers, but on a shorter schedule. I am therefore happy that the Ministry is clarifying the Act to ensure that the total amount of reimbursements to employers of a working parent with multiple employments would be the same as the total amount of reimbursements made to the employer of a working parent with a single employment.
However, having multiple employers will result in greater complexities and potential disputes in the event that one employer finds themselves paying more than others. I would like to ask if there would be guidelines provided to ensure an equitable sharing of employer-paid portions of parental leave for fractional workers. Having clear guidelines will help reduce potential disputes, and protect our fractional workers from being discriminated against, due to their pregnancy.
Important to help parents overcome struggles in early childhood years
Sir, as a father of two, I vividly recall the struggles that my wife and I faced in our children’s early years, particularly in preschool where they tend to fall sick more often. I also commonly hear from my grassroots volunteers that they sometimes utilised much of their annual leave to care for their young children who have fallen ill. Some even had to take unpaid leave, if their child has a lower immunity.
The Government currently provides up to 6 days of Government-Paid Childcare Leave, for parents who have children below 7 years old, and 2 days of Extended Childcare Leave, for those with primary school-going children. According to parents that I have spoken to, this is inadequate and they hope that more support can be given in terms of childcare leave.
Could the Government consider staggering the number of Government-Paid Childcare Leave? For instance, more paid leave days could be provided to parents when the child is in infant care and nursery, and this tapers off gradually as the child enters kindergarten and primary school. Having more paid childcare leave when the child is youngest and requires the most care, will certainly go a long way in helping parents cope with the inevitable childcare challenges in their children’s early years.
Maternity insurance should not reject mothers with pre-existing medical conditions
Sir, the decision to have children is a deeply personal choice, and young couples often weigh the potential impact that having children would have on their career aspirations and on their finances. As we enhance marriage and parenthood benefits and continue to provide hefty Government subsidies for preschools, we can do more to alleviate any anxieties that might serve as an impediment to prospective parents.
Today, maternity insurance is not compulsory, and insurers are allowed to reject applicants with pre-existing health conditions. Unexpected pregnancy complications can sometimes completely drain a couple’s finances. I hope that the MSF could work with the MOH to engage insurers to create a universal maternity insurance scheme where all mothers-to-be can subscribe to. Under such a scheme, we can sufficiently risk-pool and mothers with pre-existing health conditions will therefore not be denied coverage.
Conclusion
In closing, I would like to commend the Government for continuing to make bold and decisive moves to enhance both marriage and parenthood benefits. I am confident that these measures will help make Singapore more family-friendly, and hopefully encourage more couples to have children. I hope that the Government will continue to evolve the scheme, and also consider my suggestions to help young parents better cope in the early childhood years.
Sir, I support the Bill.
