Singapore childcare leave: eligibility and administration
Understand the current childcare leave framework and why citizenship, child age and service criteria need to be represented carefully.
Reviewed: 21 September 2026
Current published framework
MOM currently states that eligible working parents of Singapore citizen children can receive 6 days of paid childcare leave per year, while parents of non-citizen children can receive 2 days under the Employment Act, subject to the relevant eligibility criteria.
MOM's page also flags announced future enhancements to childcare leave. Because implementation details can change, organisations should re-check the official source before changing policy configuration.
Taking childcare leave
MOM explains that childcare leave can be used to spend time with a child for any reason and should be arranged with the employer. It also lists restrictions including no encashment of unused childcare leave and no transfer between spouses.