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About 745 Singaporean children are born each year to unwed mothers. Today, these children do not qualify for the Baby Bonus Cash Gift or the Working Mother's Child Relief.
In February, I asked in Parliament how many children have been excluded from these schemes over the past five years, what it would cost to extend these benefits, and whether this has been compared with spending on programmes like ComCare, ComLink+, KidSTART and public housing that support these families.
In reply, Minister Indranee Rajah said the schemes were designed to encourage parenthood within marriage, and therefore are not extended to unwed parents. She added that this is "not an issue of cost," and that the Government does not estimate what extending these benefits would cost.
On International Women's Day, it's worth reflecting on how our family policies shape the lives of women and children. No child chooses the circumstances of their birth. Our policies shouldn't punish them for it.