Few countries devote as much of their resources as Singapore to building up younger generations over the long term. The latest family-friendly measures in Budget 2023 are welcome steps in further making Singapore a well-suited place in which to bring up children for the rapidly changing era the world has entered.

There is a bigger Baby Bonus, for starters, and added funds in the Child Development Account. There is also more tax relief for lower-income working mothers. Adding to the bundle of baby joy is the doubling of paid paternity leave to four weeks, depending on employers, and the scaling-up of KidStart, which provides support for pregnant mothers and young children in lower-income families.