What parents want: More childcare leave, less pressure over maternity leave, and room for joy
PM Lawrence Wong will share plans to help lighten the load on Singaporean families in his National Day Rally speech on Aug 23.
Parents in Singapore desire increased childcare leave and reduced stress surrounding maternity leave, with an emphasis on relishing these moments. Kristen Kiong, a mother of four, currently only receives two days of childcare leave. She advocates for more government subsidies to cover enrichment activities for school-aged children and to utilize the Child Development Account for student care center fees.
Another parent, Jeffrey Lau, a business owner with four children, proposes fully covering the cost of maternity leave and providing tax relief for employers. Aidaroyani Adam, CEO of a non-profit organization for women and families, mentions that one-third of Muslim women cited a lack of time as their primary concern in fulfilling family aspirations.
Roxanne Toh, a mother of three, suggests subsidised mental wellness support, such as counselling for pre-marriage and postpartum periods, and better sibling relations.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
