SINGAPORE: Singaporean children up to the age of six will get S$400 each in a one-off top-up of their Child Development Accounts (CDAs). This top-up is double the amount distributed last year and is expected to be given to 240,000 children. 

The money will be directly credited to the child’s CDA from mid-September, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. 

Those parents who have yet to open a CDA for their children must do so by June 30, 2024, for the children to be eligible for the top-up. 

This CDA top-up is part of the measures linked to the Assurance Package unveiled in Budget 2023 to support families. The CDA funds can be used to pay for a child’s education and health care at approved institutions such as registered childcare centres, kindergartens, special education schools, providers of early intervention programmes, providers of assistive technology devices, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and optical shops. 

Approved CDA recipients will get a notification through SMS, e-mail, or a hard-copy letter after the funds have been credited. Parents can view the updated balance by checking the monthly CDA statement.

To avoid scams, SMS notifications sent to eligible CDA recipients will be from the SMS ID “MSF”. The notification will only contain information on the status of the top-up being credited into the child’s account. Eligible CDA recipients will not be asked to reply to the SMS or click any links to provide any information. 

The messages will not be sent via WhatsApp or other mobile messaging platforms. 

Young Singaporeans between the ages of seven and 20 in 2023 would have already received a one-off S$300 top-up to their Edusave account or Post-Secondary Education Account in May. 

In 2022, the CDA top-up benefited 230,000 children up to the age of six, with each getting S$200. It was part of the Household Support Package in Budget 2022.