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Money· 14 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

Childcare leave: use this year's days before they're gone

Childcare leave doesn't roll over. School breaks on 21 November, so here's how many days you have, and what changes next.

Impasto painting of a parent pushing a laughing toddler on a swing at an empty HDB estate playground on a sunny weekday, a tote bag with a work lanyard left on the bench beside them

Somewhere in your HR portal there may be a few days of childcare leave quietly running out. Childcare leave doesn't roll over: whatever you haven't used by the end of your leave year is gone. For most of us that's 31 December, and school breaks for the holidays on Saturday, 21 November.

How many days you have

  • Youngest Singapore citizen child below 7: 6 days a year for each parent, once you've worked for your employer for three months. Your employer pays the first 3 days and the Government reimburses the last 3, capped at $500 a day including CPF.
  • Youngest Singapore citizen child aged 7 to 12: 2 days of extended childcare leave a year, paid by the Government up to $500 a day.
  • Children in both age groups: still 6 days in total, not 8.
  • Child who isn't a Singapore citizen, under 7: 2 days a year under the Employment Act.

It's per parent, not per child. Two kids under 7 still means 6 days for you and 6 for your spouse. If you're self-employed, you can claim for income lost on the Government-paid days through the Government-Paid Leave portal.

Using them well

Honestly, book one or two now and keep one back for a sick day. A child with a fever on 29 December still needs you home, and you don't want to find out then that you've nothing left.

A weekday off in the holidays is a different thing from a weekend. The playground is empty, the library is quiet, and nobody is queuing for the good table at the hawker centre.

What's changing

At the National Day Rally in August, the Government said childcare leave and extended childcare leave will merge into one scheme for parents of Singapore citizen children aged 12 and below: 8 days a year with one child in that age group, 10 with two, and 12 with three or more. The Government will also cover the full cost of the leave, up to the reimbursement limit, so employers aren't out of pocket.

That isn't this year's leave, though. MOM says the start date and eligibility details will be announced later.

What we don't know

  • When the new scheme starts.
  • Whether unused days will still lapse at the end of the year under it.
  1. Check your balance this week

    Look in your HR system or ask HR. If your leave year isn't the calendar year, find out when yours ends.

  2. Split the dates with your spouse

    You each have your own days. Stagger them and you cover more of the holidays between you.

On The Little HoursYear-end holidays: the dates to knowWhen school ends and starts again.Take a look →On The Little HoursYear-end money: one payout, two vouchersWhat lands and what lapses before 31 December.Take a look →
Where we checked
MOM: Childcare leave eligibility and entitlement · MOM: Extended childcare leave · Made For Families: National Day Rally 2026, helping Singaporeans start and raise families (22 Oct 2026)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. General guidance, not medical advice. Let us know if something’s out of date.