Child assistance payment

Who benefits

• The child assistance payment is made to all eligible families who have one or more dependent children under age 18.

Conditions and payments

• Child assistance payments are made to only one person in a family.
• To enable the Régie to calculate the amount to which you are entitled, you and your spouse must file a Québec income tax return.
• The amount of the child assistance payment varies from one family to another. It is calculated on the basis of the number of children, the family income, the family situation (single-parent or two-parent) and whether there is shared custody.
• Several ways are provided for you to rapidly inform us of a change in your family situation.

Terms of payment

• Payments are made in advance, on the first working day of each quarter, that is, in January, April, July and October.
• If you want to receive monthly payments, you must make a request. In this case, you will receive you payments on the first working day of each month.
• We recommend that you sign up to receive your payments by direct deposit.

Make an application if required  

• If your family's arrival in Québec, you will have to make an Application to receive child assistance payments.

Other useful links...

• The web site of the ministère de la Famille et des Aînés  provides information on Québec's family policy, childcare services and other matters of interest.