Source: CNA
SINGAPORE: The government will introduce further measures to help families with children meet their expenses.
A new Child Development Credit scheme will be introduced for all Singaporean children aged six years old and below.
Children born between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2011 are eligible.
Announcing this in his Budget statement, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said 80 per cent of families will receive S$400 per child.
Meanwhile the remaining 20 per cent, who are better off, will receive S$300 per child.
The money will be paid into the Children Development Accounts and can be used to pay their children's pre-school, childcare and medical expenses.
The Child Development Credit will cost the government about S$90 million and benefit more than 220,000 children aged six years old and below.
The payout will start in July this year.
Notification letters will be sent by June, to parents of eligible children.
The government will also enhance the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (Kifas) and the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for childcare (CFAC) which currently provide subsidies to lower-income families.
The subsidies will be extended to a larger group of families, including those with up to S$3,500 in gross monthly household income.
Separately, some S$100 million will be pumped into schools for Edusave grants.
Meanwhile, a one-off top-up of S$4.7 million will be put into funds of School Advisory Committees and School Management Committees to help needy Singaporeans students.
There will also be more help for those attending special education schools (SPED).
The MOE Financial Assistance Scheme will also be extended to those from lower-income families.
Mr Tharman said with such a move, SPED students from such families will be fully subsidised for their school fees, uniforms and textbooks.
They will also receive a 75 per cent subsidy on their exam fees.
And to keep higher education affordable, Mr Tharman said undergraduate and diploma bursaries will also increase significantly to benefit students from both lower- and middle-income families.
University students from the bottom one-third of households will benefit from an 80 per cent increase in bursaries, from the current S$1,600 a year to S$2,900 a year.
Mr Tharman said the measures will cost an additional $120 million per year.
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SINGAPORE: The government will introduce further measures to help families with children meet their expenses.
A new Child Development Credit scheme will be introduced for all Singaporean children aged six years old and below.
Children born between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2011 are eligible.
Announcing this in his Budget statement, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said 80 per cent of families will receive S$400 per child.
Meanwhile the remaining 20 per cent, who are better off, will receive S$300 per child.
The money will be paid into the Children Development Accounts and can be used to pay their children's pre-school, childcare and medical expenses.
The Child Development Credit will cost the government about S$90 million and benefit more than 220,000 children aged six years old and below.
The payout will start in July this year.
Notification letters will be sent by June, to parents of eligible children.
The government will also enhance the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (Kifas) and the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for childcare (CFAC) which currently provide subsidies to lower-income families.
The subsidies will be extended to a larger group of families, including those with up to S$3,500 in gross monthly household income.
Separately, some S$100 million will be pumped into schools for Edusave grants.
Meanwhile, a one-off top-up of S$4.7 million will be put into funds of School Advisory Committees and School Management Committees to help needy Singaporeans students.
There will also be more help for those attending special education schools (SPED).
The MOE Financial Assistance Scheme will also be extended to those from lower-income families.
Mr Tharman said with such a move, SPED students from such families will be fully subsidised for their school fees, uniforms and textbooks.
They will also receive a 75 per cent subsidy on their exam fees.
And to keep higher education affordable, Mr Tharman said undergraduate and diploma bursaries will also increase significantly to benefit students from both lower- and middle-income families.
University students from the bottom one-third of households will benefit from an 80 per cent increase in bursaries, from the current S$1,600 a year to S$2,900 a year.
Mr Tharman said the measures will cost an additional $120 million per year.
