Will more childcare leave and cash move Singaporeans to have more kids? | Deep Dive

This year’s National Day Rally brought welcome news for parents. From additional childcare leave and lower childcare centre costs to increased financial support under the new Singapore Child Support Package, the measures signal a push by the Government to provide families with more sustained support. But will these measures be enough to persuade parents who are already juggling full-time jobs and family life to have another child? How can those with no children not feel left behind? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau and working parents Rachael Cheong and Yuvaraj Uthaman about their lived realities and whether the new initiatives can truly move the needle when it comes to family planning. Highlights: 00:00 Intro 03:57 The heart says yes, head says no 05:41 Why more childcare leave matters 07:47 More time and more flexible work arrangements 09:44 Can workplace culture really change? 15:30 Support beyond parents with children 17:25 Who carries the extra workload? 23:04 Can financial support move the needle? 27:24 Are work and family policies at odds? 31:27 The trade-offs of parenthood ========= #DeepDivePodcast #ndr2026 #parenting #cnapodcasts Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia