The government has brought forward the qualifying date for the Baby Bonus and other measures in the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Package.

Parents of babies born on or after August 17 - the date of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's announcement at the National Day Rally - will now be entitled to the new parenthood perks.

The change is in response to appeals from expectant mothers and fathers whose babies are due before January 1 next year, said a news release by the National Population Secretariat.

With this extension, parents of babies born on or after 17 Aug 2008 will qualify for the benefits in the enhanced M&P Package, subject to the following:

• Actual payment of the enhanced Baby Bonus and subsidies will only be made after the necessary legislative and administrative changes are completed;
  
  
• Employers will be encouraged to allow their eligible staff to claim the additional maternity, infant care and childcare leave provisions and extend the enhanced protection to pregnant employees from 17 Aug 2008; if they do so, the Government will pay for its share of the additional leave to be taken. When the necessary legislative and administrative changes are completed, employers will be required by law to provide the relevant leave options to eligible employees;
  
  
• Parenthood Tax Rebate (PTR) will still apply to all eligible citizen births from 1 Jan 2008; the enhanced tax reliefs (i.e. Qualifying Child Relief/ Handicapped Child Relief and Working Mother's Child Relief) can be claimed for income earned in 2008.

Government co-funding for assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment will be effected from 17 Aug 2008. These changes will further improve what is already a comprehensive and enhanced M&P Package by including more parents and babies in its coverage.