PSP calls SG Child Support Package ‘a step forward’, but says money alone won’t reverse declining TFR

PSP welcomes SG Child Support Package but says more needed to support families

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has welcomed the Government’s new SG Child Support Package, but said more needs to be done to address Singapore’s declining total fertility rate (TFR).

In a Facebook post on 26 Aug, PSP said the package was “a step forward”.

However, the party argued that “money alone will not reverse our declining TFR”.

Instead, it called for a “whole-of-society effort” to make it easier for Singaporeans to start and raise families.

This comes as the SG Child Support Package was announced during the National Day Rally on 23 Aug.

The new package is meant to replace the Baby Bonus Scheme and Large Families Scheme.

According to the LifeSG website, this package “provides families with stronger and more sustained financial support to help raise their children from birth through the growing years“.

PSP previously proposed broader family support

PSP had also pointed to proposals it made during a parliamentary debate on family policies in Feb 2025.

These included comprehensive medical coverage for mothers before and after childbirth, as well as greater support for companies managing increased maternity and childcare leave.

PSP also proposed a caregiver allowance for family members providing childcare and measures to reduce academic pressure on children.

In its Feb 2025 speech, the party proposed allowing parents to claim maternity and child-bearing medical expenses fully from MediSave without a limit.

It also suggested a S$3,000 Healthier Mother Cash Gift for every mother upon the birth of each child.

For caregivers, PSP proposed a monthly allowance of $1,250 for one parent or grandparent registered as a full-time caregiver of a Singapore Citizen child from birth until the child turns seven.

The party also called for greater support for flexible working arrangements and job sharing, saying families should be able to manage on one-and-a-half incomes rather than two full-time incomes.

PSP says women should not feel obliged to have children

PSP also stressed that having children should remain a personal choice.

“Women are not duty-bound to have children,” the party said, adding that singles should not feel ashamed or be treated differently because they are unmarried.

The party has previously called for the eligible age for singles to buy (Build-To-Order) BTO flats to be lowered to 28.

It also wants rental housing to become a more viable option for singles.

PSP said these measures would help create an environment where Singaporeans can make family decisions without feeling pressured by financial, housing or social considerations.

Party calls for less academic pressure

PSP also linked Singapore’s education system to family decisions.

In its Feb 2025 parliamentary speech, the party said tuition had become a S$1.8 billion industry and argued that educational pressure was affecting children and families.

It reiterated its proposal to give students the option of not taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

PSP said reducing such pressures could help create “happier family lives” and encourage more Singaporeans to consider having children.

The party’s comments come after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced several measures at the National Day Rally on 23 Aug, including increased childcare leave and greater government reimbursement of employers’ costs for statutory child-related leave.

The Government will also introduce measures aimed at making childcare more affordable and providing greater financial support for families under the SG Child Support Package.

Also read: ‘The work migrates to someone else’s desk’: Netizens question impact of more childcare leave

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Featured image adapted from MSF Singapore on Facebook and Progress Singapore Party on Facebook.