What will be in the SG60 Baby Gift? Trolley bag, toys and practical items

SINGAPORE: Singaporean babies born this year will receive an SG60 Baby Gift packed with toys and practical items as the nation celebrates its 60th year of independence.

Announcing the details in parliament on Friday (Feb 28), Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah described the gift as a symbol of the nation's hopes and aspirations for future generations.

Families will receive a trolley bag with 10 items sourced from local brands. 

Among the items is a straw cup set from Singapore brand Hegen, designed with an adaptor cap to meet the babies' needs as they become more independent in feeding.

The gift also includes SG60-themed building blocks and a toy playset to aid early development.

Other items in the set include a silicone food bib, backpack, family photobook, parenting journal, a Becky Bunny plushie and two storybooks. Becky Bunny is the mascot for Singapore's Families for Life movement.

"We encourage parents to bond with their babies over these books and inspire a love of reading through them," said Ms Indranee.

Students from Lasalle College of the Arts designed the artwork on the items, featuring SG60 babies and iconic Singapore landmarks, according to a press release from the National Population and Talent Division.

Each SG60 Baby Gift will also come with a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. 

"We hope parents will find the gift meaningful and useful – to inspire the child in discovering the world around them, and to support parents in nurturing and caring for their child," said Ms Indranee.

Parents of Singaporean babies born between Jan 1 and Dec 31 this year will need to complete the birth registration for their child before they can get the SG60 Baby Gift. They can then register for the gift at go.gov.sg/SG60BabyGift from Friday until Feb 28 next year.

Babies who were due in 2025 but were born before Jan 1 are also eligible for the SG60 Baby Gift. Parents can register and include their child's birth certificate and a doctor's certification of the estimated date of delivery.

Singaporean babies born overseas are also eligible for the gift, although only local delivery is available.

Those who register for the gift by Mar 15 can collect it at community events in April and May. Parents who cannot attend the events or who register after Mar 15 will receive the gift via home delivery from mid-May.

SUPPORT FOR LARGE FAMILIES

In his Budget 2025 speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced a new Large Families Scheme for married couples who have or want to have three or more children.

Ms Indranee said the government hopes the scheme will "kickstart a societal movement to celebrate and support" large families, and has engaged companies to offer deals to families with three or more children.

More than 30 corporate partners across various sectors – including food and beverage, retail and transport – will offer discounts and privileges for large families.

For example, private-hire services Grab and Gojek will provide discounts on bookings for larger vehicles, while car-sharing services Tribecar and GetGo will offer rental discounts.

HomeTeamNS will introduce bundle promotions for tickets to some events and their adventure and children's facilities. FairPrice Group also plans to launch value bundles for large families later this year.

Ms Indranee also said the Large Family LifeSG Credits announced at Budget 2025 will provide sustained support, and that parents can use them to buy groceries or pay for rides from transport operators such as TADA and ComfortDelGro taxis.

Parents will also receive S$1,000 each year in LifeSG credits for each third and subsequent child between the ages of one and six, or a total of S$6,000 over six years.

She said she recognised that large families face other challenges, such as requiring larger housing or worrying about the costs of higher education.

She added that the government will study suggestions on how to provide more support.

Ms Indranee also outlined other measures such as introducing guidelines on flexible work arrangement requests, increasing government-paid paternity leave and shared parental leave.

"But for these policies to work, we need mindsets and culture to shift in tandem. This requires support from everyone across society," she said.

She highlighted workplaces as a key area and said it is important for employees to discuss their parental leave plans as early as possible, and for employers to be supportive and facilitative.

Flexible work arrangements can also help parents with young children.

"I hope that more employers will embrace flexible work arrangements as part of their core HR strategy," she said.