Committee of Supply 2025 debate, Day 7: Sun Xueling on strong families as bedrock of society

Strong families are the bedrock of society, and the government strives to make Singapore the best place to raise families by ensuring that they have the opportunities to thrive and flourish, said Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling. Speaking in parliament on Monday (Mar 10), she outlined four areas of support that the Ministry of Social and Family Development will be providing - giving every child a good start in life, journeying with families through every stage of life, uplifting families with caregiving needs and fostering a family-friendly Singapore. The government will be on target to be able to provide places for 80 per cent of preschoolers in a government-supported preschool by the end of this year. From 2025 to 2029, the Early Childhood Development Agency will work with Anchor Operators to add almost 40,000 full-day preschool places, of which about 6,000 will cater to infants. To improve quality in preschools, a new Quality Teaching Tool will be rolled out this year to guide and hone educators' skills. The government will expand the use of the Child Development Account scheme from May this year to cover all incidental costs at approved preschools for enrichment programmes, such as speech, drama, robotics and coding classes. Beyond enhanced financial and caregiving support, Singapore is celebrating families as a nation, said Ms Sun. One way to foster a family-friendly Singapore is to expand family-oriented spaces. The Family Zone at Gardens by the Bay will have new features for children to learn shared family values through play, as well as an enhanced community garden which can host visits and workshops for families.