Why focus on one-child families?

Building a Child-Raising Community

The value of child-raising to society 

Single income family with 3 kids: Why?

Youth prioritising education, NS and BTO

Targeting one-child couples to have a second child is lower-hanging fruit than trying to get families to have a third under the Large Families Scheme, says a researcher who studies the modern parent.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Stopping at one or two children is such a norm in Singapore that a 'large family' now means having three or more children. 

This definition comes after the government launched the large families scheme in 2025, in a bid to encourage Singaporeans to expand their households. 

In its first year alone, the scheme has already stepped in to help about 5,000 Singaporean children. Each of them received up to $16,000 in additional grants to ease the financial load of multi-child parenting.  

But can money alone shift a couple’s mindsets to having more children? 

Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Kalpana Vignehsa joins assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong to discuss the modern realities, anxieties, and choices of raising children in Singapore.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:27 Why focus on one-child family instead of two-child families under Large Families Scheme

25:48 BTO Co-Living: Building a Child-Raising Community with 12 Families

28:16 $300,000? $500,000? The value of child-raising to society 

36:04 Why a family with 3 kids is usually on a single income

50:14 Youth prioritising education, NS and BTO, leaving no room for marriage, let alone babies

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast 

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

---

#inyouropinion

Targeting one-child couples to have a second child is lower-hanging fruit than trying to get families to have a third under the Large Families Scheme, says a researcher who studies the modern parent.
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Stopping at one or two children is such a norm in Singapore that a 'large family' now means having three or more children.&nbsp;
This definition comes after the government launched the large families scheme in 2025, in a bid to encourage Singaporeans to expand their households.&nbsp;
In its first year alone, the scheme has already stepped in to help about 5,000 Singaporean children. Each of them received up to $16,000 in additional grants to ease the financial load of multi-child parenting.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But can money alone shift a couple&rsquo;s mindsets to having more children?&nbsp;
Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Kalpana Vignehsa joins assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong to discuss the modern realities, anxieties, and choices of raising children in Singapore.
Highlights (click/tap above):&nbsp;
7:27 Why focus on one-child family instead of two-child families under Large Families Scheme
25:48 BTO Co-Living: Building a Child-Raising Community with 12 Families
28:16 $300,000? $500,000? The value of child-raising to society&nbsp;
36:04 Why a family with 3 kids is usually on a single income
50:14 Youth prioritising education, NS and BTO, leaving no room for marriage, let alone babies
Read ST&rsquo;s Opinion section:<a href="https://str.sg/w7sH"> https://str.sg/w7sH</a>
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: <a href="https://str.sg/Gm2v">https://str.sg/Gm2v</a>
Host: Lynda Hong (<a href="mailto:lyndahong@sph.com.sg">lyndahong@sph.com.sg</a>)&nbsp;
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel:<a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt"> https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://str.sg/wukb"> https://str.sg/wukb</a>
Spotify:<a href="https://str.sg/w7sV"> https://str.sg/w7sV</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/wvz7" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
Get more updates: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-stringify-link="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-sk="tooltip_parent">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast</a>&nbsp;
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store:<a href="https://str.sg/icyB"> https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play:<a href="https://str.sg/icyX"> https://str.sg/icyX</a>
---
#inyouropinion

A hard look at the social issues of the month in Singapore. Join ST journalists and other guests as they discuss with Lydia Wong.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Lynda Hong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.