Childcare Leave Singapore 2026: Entitlements and Claims

As at October 2026, each working parent of a Singapore Citizen child under 7 gets 6 days of Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL) a year. Once your youngest child turns 7, this becomes 2 days of Extended Childcare Leave (ECL) a year until they turn 13. Parents of Singapore Citizen children under 2 can also take up to 12 days of unpaid infant care leave a year.

At the National Day Rally 2026, the Government announced that childcare leave will be increased and the two schemes merged, but the start date has not been confirmed. Until it is, the current rules below still apply. This guide covers who qualifies, how pay works, how to claim and what the announced changes mean for your family.

Childcare leave in Singapore at a glance

Leave	Child’s age and citizenship	Days per parent	Pay
Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL)	Singapore Citizen, under 7	6 days a year (up to 42 days per child)	Employer pays days 1 to 3; Government reimburses days 4 to 6, capped at $500 a day
Extended Childcare Leave (ECL)	Singapore Citizen, aged 7 to 12	2 days a year (up to 12 days per child)	Government reimburses both days, capped at $500 a day
Childcare leave under the Employment Act	Not a Singapore Citizen, under 7	2 days a year (up to 14 days per child)	Paid by employer
Unpaid infant care leave (UICL)	Singapore Citizen, under 2	Up to 12 days a year (up to 24 days per child)	Unpaid

All figures are as at October 2026, from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s parental leave portal.

Who qualifies for childcare leave

For GPCL and ECL, you generally need to meet all of these conditions, as set out in MOM’s guide to childcare leave eligibility and entitlement:

Your child is a Singapore Citizen. If your child is not a citizen, you may still get 2 days a year under the Employment Act.
You have worked for your employer for at least 3 continuous months. Self-employed parents need to have been working for at least 3 months and lose income while on leave.
You are the child’s parent. Biological fathers generally need to be married to the child’s mother, with some exceptions for divorced and unmarried fathers. Adoptive parents, step-parents, foster parents and legal guardians have their own criteria, so check the portal.

The 6-day yearly limit

This catches many parents out. Childcare leave is capped at 6 days a year per parent, no matter how many children you have. It covers GPCL, ECL and Employment Act childcare leave combined. Your entitlement depends on your youngest child’s age, so if you have a newborn and a 9-year-old, you get 6 days in total, not 8.

New in your job?

If you have worked for your employer for less than a year, your GPCL can be pro-rated by completed months of service, with a minimum of 2 days once you pass the 3-month mark. MOM’s guide shows 2 days at 3 to 4 months, 3 days at 5 to 6 months and so on, up to the full 6 days. ECL is not pro-rated.

How childcare leave is paid

You receive your normal salary while on childcare leave. Behind the scenes, the cost is split:

GPCL days 1 to 3: paid by your employer.
GPCL days 4 to 6: your employer pays you, then claims the amount back from the Government, up to $500 a day including CPF contributions, or $1,500 a year.
ECL: both days are reimbursed by the Government, up to $500 a day, or $1,000 a year.

Childcare leave does not carry forward. Any days you do not use by the end of your leave year, usually the calendar year, are lost.

Unpaid infant care leave

On top of childcare leave, each eligible parent can take up to 12 days of unpaid infant care leave a year while their Singapore Citizen child is under 2. That adds up to a maximum of 24 days per child. You need at least 3 months of continuous service with your employer, and biological parents need to be married to each other.

Unpaid infant care leave cannot be transferred to your spouse and does not carry over to the next year. It is useful when you have run out of paid leave, for example during a spell of illness, a bout of hand, foot and mouth disease that keeps your baby home from infant care, or a slow return to work. Because it is unpaid, check how it affects your salary and bonus before you take it.

How to apply and claim

If you are an employee

Apply through your employer. Use your company’s usual leave system. There is no fixed legal notice period, but MSF encourages parents to agree leave plans with their employer as early as possible.
Your employer checks your eligibility and may ask for your child’s birth certificate or citizenship details.
Your employer claims the Government-paid days through the Government-Paid Leave portal. Claims should be made no later than 3 months after the end of the calendar year.

You can view how much childcare leave you have used on the parental leave portal with your Singpass.

If you are self-employed

Self-employed parents cannot claim for GPCL days 1 to 3, but can claim for days 4 to 6 and for ECL, at the same caps. You submit claims yourself on the Government-Paid Leave portal after taking the leave, again no later than 3 months after the end of the calendar year. Keep records of the dates you took off and your loss of income.

Changes announced at the National Day Rally 2026

At the National Day Rally in August 2026, the Government announced that childcare leave will be increased to give working parents of children aged 12 and below more protected time. The key points announced are:

One merged scheme. The current childcare leave and Extended Childcare Leave will be combined into a single, streamlined childcare leave scheme.
More days for larger families. The enhanced scheme was announced as 8 days a year for parents with one child, 10 days for two children and 12 days for three or more.
Full Government funding. The Government will cover the cost of child-related leave, including childcare leave, for all child orders, up to the reimbursement limits.

These changes sit alongside other parental leave enhancements. Fathers now get 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave, and parents of babies born from 1 April 2026 share 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave. Our main guide to maternity leave in Singapore brings all of these entitlements together.

Planning your leave as a working parent

Six days a year disappears quickly once your child starts a centre, so plan ahead with your partner.

Split sick days between you. Both parents have their own 6 days. Taking turns means neither of you runs out by June.
Ask about flexible work. Under the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, employers must consider formal requests properly. Working from home on a mild sick day can stretch your leave further.
Talk to HR early. If you are returning to work after maternity leave, confirm your childcare leave year, how unpaid infant care leave affects pay, and whether your company offers extra family leave.

The bottom line

As at October 2026, each working parent gets 6 days of Government-Paid Childcare Leave a year if their youngest Singapore Citizen child is under 7, and 2 days of Extended Childcare Leave if the youngest is 7 to 12.
The yearly cap is 6 days per parent, however many children you have.
Parents of Singapore Citizen children under 2 can also take up to 12 days of unpaid infant care leave a year.
NDR 2026 announced a merged, larger scheme of 8 to 12 days a year depending on family size, fully Government-funded, but the start date is still to be confirmed.

How many days of childcare leave do I get in Singapore?

As at October 2026, you get 6 days of Government-Paid Childcare Leave a year if your youngest Singapore Citizen child is under 7, and 2 days of Extended Childcare Leave a year if your youngest child is aged 7 to 12. You need at least 3 months of continuous service. If your child is not a Singapore Citizen, you may get 2 days a year under the Employment Act.

Is childcare leave per child or per parent?

Per parent. Each working parent has their own entitlement, but it is capped at 6 days a year regardless of how many children you have. The days are based on your youngest child’s age.

When will the new childcare leave scheme start?

The enhanced scheme announced at the National Day Rally 2026 does not have a confirmed start date as at October 2026. The Government has said details will be announced later. Until then, the current rules apply.

Is infant care leave paid?

No. Infant care leave in Singapore is unpaid. Eligible parents can take up to 12 days a year while their Singapore Citizen child is under 2, in addition to paid childcare leave.