Committee of Supply 2024 debate, Day 6: Melvin Yong on infant care
As Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to a historic low of 0.97 last year, the country must do all it can to alleviate the anxieties that couples face when considering whether to have children, said MP Melvin Yong. He said the availability of infant care has been a perennial issue. Mr Yong made several suggestions. Extend subsidies to those providing home-based infant care so that it does not cost much more than infant care run by anchor operators. Let parents tap the Child Development Account to further defray the cost. Extend the Household Services Scheme that allows recruitment of migrant workers for basic childminding, to include infant care as well. Mr Yong also asked about ensuring the quality of home-based infant care by imposing requirements such as care ratio, training and background checks. He spoke in Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 6).
As Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to a historic low of 0.97 last year, the country must do all it can to alleviate the anxieties that couples face when considering whether to have children, said MP Melvin Yong. He said the availability of infant care has been a perennial issue. Mr Yong made several suggestions. Extend subsidies to those providing home-based infant care so that it does not cost much more than infant care run by anchor operators. Let parents tap the Child Development Account to further defray the cost. Extend the Household Services Scheme that allows recruitment of migrant workers for basic childminding, to include infant care as well. Mr Yong also asked about ensuring the quality of home-based infant care by imposing requirements such as care ratio, training and background checks. He spoke in Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 6).
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