How Does My Maternity Leave Connect to Baby Bonus and Other Benefits?
Several benefits kick in around the time your baby is born. Here is a complete post-birth checklist and how everything fits together.
Post-Birth Checklist: What to Do and When
The first few weeks after birth involve several administrative tasks that trigger government benefits. Here is a prioritised checklist.
Register your baby's birth
All births must be registered with ICA within 15 calendar days. Hospital births can often be registered directly from the hospital via the Electronic Birth Registration (eBR) system. This triggers the Medisave Baby Grant automatically.
Apply for Baby Bonus
Apply online at go.gov.sg/babybonus using Singpass. You need your baby's birth certificate number. The cash gift is credited within 7 business days of approval. The CDA (Child Development Account) is opened automatically.
Notify employer and begin GPML
Provide your employer with your baby's birth certificate and other required documents so they can apply for GPML reimbursement from MOM. Do this within the first week of your leave.
Apply for childcare subsidy
When your baby is approaching childcare age (typically from 2 months for infant care), apply for the Basic and Additional Subsidy at ECDA (Early Childhood Development Agency). This can be done via Singpass at ecda.gov.sg.
CDA top-ups (Baby Bonus matching)
Once the CDA is open, deposit money into it to receive dollar-for-dollar government matching up to the cap. The earlier you deposit, the sooner you get the match.
Baby Bonus Amounts for 2025 and 2026
Baby Bonus consists of two parts: a cash gift paid into your bank account, and government co-savings into a Child Development Account (CDA).
| Birth Order | Cash Gift | CDA Government Match Cap | Total Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st and 2nd child | S$11,000 | S$6,000 | S$17,000 |
| 3rd and 4th child | S$13,000 | S$9,000 | S$22,000 |
| 5th child and beyond | S$13,000 | S$15,000 | S$28,000 |
Only for Singapore Citizens
Baby Bonus is only available for Singapore Citizen children. The baby must be an SC and born to at least one SC parent. PR and foreigner babies do not qualify.
Childcare Subsidy: Planning Ahead During Maternity Leave
Childcare subsidy is a benefit many parents do not think about until maternity leave is nearly over. But planning for it early makes the transition back to work smoother.
Singapore offers two types of childcare subsidy for SC children in licensed centres:
Basic Subsidy
Available to all SC families with a working mother (or single working parent). S$600 per month for infant care (under 18 months) and S$300 per month for childcare (18 months to 7 years).
Additional Subsidy
Income-tested. For families with per capita monthly household income below S$12,000. Subsidy amount ranges from a small top-up to S$710/month for infant care at the lowest income tiers.
Use your maternity leave to research and register at licensed childcare centres. Good infant care centres often have long waitlists in Singapore. Apply as early as 6 months in advance to secure a place for when you return to work.
Benefit Stacking: How It All Fits Together
The timing of these benefits overlaps. Here is how the first year looks when you stack everything together:
Medisave Baby Grant (S$4,000) credited automatically to baby's Medisave. GPML begins for mother. Baby Bonus application opens.
Apply for Baby Bonus. Cash gift credited within about 7 business days. CDA opened automatically.
GPML in progress. Research infant care. Start depositing into CDA to receive government co-matching.
Apply for childcare subsidy via ECDA if infant care starts from 2 months. Confirm infant care place.
GPML ends. Return to work. Childcare subsidy begins offsetting infant care fees.
Using the LifeSG app
Singapore's LifeSG app (available on iOS and Android) provides a personalised post-birth checklist including Baby Bonus, GPML, Medisave grants, and childcare subsidies. Log in with Singpass after birth for a guided process.