A Good Start to the Lunar New Year, and in Life

Around 4,000 low-income families are set to benefit from a one-time $400 top-up to their Child Development Account (CDA) to support their child-raising needs.

They will also receive one fully sponsored NTUC membership per household.

NTUC First Campus (NFC) launched these two initiatives on 9 February 2021. The initiatives will cost an estimated $2 million for 2021, and will be funded by NFC’s Bright Horizons Fund.

To qualify for both programmes, families must be earning $4,500 or less per month, or have per capita incomes of not more than $1,125 per month.

Their children must also have attended NFC’s My First Skool (MFS) or Little Skool-House for at least three months, or by 31 January 2021.

This is part of NFC’s effort to give low-income families and their children additional support and a good start to the Lunar New Year.

“Our desire is to see more families and children start the New Year with renewed hope, and with the strength and fortitude as represented by the Year of the Ox,” said NFC Chairman Ng Chee Yuen.

What Can You Do With the $400 CDA Top-up?

The $400 pay out to eligible children’s CDA account will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by the Government if the family meets the criteria for the Baby Bonus Scheme.

This will total up to $800 per child and can be used to defray various child-raising expenses such as preschool fees, healthcare, dental and optical needs as well as early intervention programmes at Baby Bonus Approved Institutions.

Mustakem Muhamed Rais, who has a daughter at My First Skool, said that he will use the funds to pay for her school fees.

“It will also be useful if we need to pay for medical fees, dental fees, and spectacles when the need arises in future,” he added.

What Can You Do with the Free NTUC Membership?

Low-income families can save $117 a year in NTUC membership fees through the ‘NTUC First Campus Sponsored NTUC Membership Programme’ and be eligible for the various financial and employability benefits offered by NTUC.

These include:

• Digital vouchers for use on necessities and for children’s school expenses for the new school year, as well as funding support for bursaries and scholarships, under the NTUC-U Care Fund. 
• LinkPoints worth $8.50 monthly per household for members with children enrolled in My First Skool. These can be used to offset the cost of groceries at NTUC FairPrice.
• Access to various professional development, training, placement and networking opportunities through the Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP).

Mr Mustakem, for instance, hopes to take up a subsidised course in operating a crane in future to upgrade myself and find new job opportunities.

NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said: “Our NTUC Family always stands together with Singaporeans, especially in times of need.

“As part of NTUC’s 2021 members’ outreach, we want more Singaporean families to reap the benefits of the NTUC membership during these tough times.”