Melvin Yong on Child Development Co-Savings (Amendment) Bill

While welcoming enhanced parental leave and benefits that will take effect from April 2025, MP Melvin Yong said one segment of couples feels “left out” - those whose babies will be born in January to March next year. He asked for some of the new perks to be extended to these couples who will be parents of “the first SG60 babies”. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 13), Mr Yong also supported the clarification that the total reimbursement for employer-paid portions of parental leave will be the same, whether the employee has multiple jobs or a single job. He asked if guidelines will be provided to ensure equitable sharing of the reimbursement for the growing number of fractional workers, who work for multiple employers but on a shorter schedule. Mr Yong also made the following suggestions - stagger Government-paid childcare leave to provide more days when children are younger and need the most care, tapering off as they enter kindergarten and primary school; and engage insurers to create a universal maternity insurance scheme that does not deny coverage to mothers with pre-existing health conditions.