Family assistance programs for you

In addition to the programs and measures presented in this issue of Liaison RRQ-Magazine, there are others administered by the Québec and federal governments intended to ease the financial burden related to children. The following list includes links to some of these useful programs.

Other programs and measures for family assistance in Québec

• Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP)
  
  The Québec Parental Insurance Plan provides for the payment of benefits to all eligible workers who take maternity leave, parental leave, paternity leave, or adoption leave.
• Educational childcare for children under the age of 5
  
  This program offers educational childcare services at a minimum cost for parents. It is intended for young children, from birth until they attend kindergarten. The parental contribution is 7 $ a day for each child.
• Childcare services for school-age children
  
  In the public schools offering childcare services, children aged 5 to 12 may be eligible for childcare services at a reduced contribution of 7 $ a day for each child.

Family assistance measures in Canada

• Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
  
  Administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canada child tax benefit is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under age 18. It may include the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) and the Child Disability Benefit (CDB).
• Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB)
  
  The Universal Child Care Benefit is a new initiative designed to assist Canadian families, as they seek to balance work and family life, by supporting their child care choices through direct financial support. Under the proposed amendments, payments will be 100 $ a month for each eligible child under age 6 and would begin in July 2006.

Tax advantages: another way of helping parents

• Refundable tax credit for child-care expenses
  
  In Québec, this credit is intended to compensate parents for the childcare expenses of each child in the family not able to benefit from childcare at 7 $ a day. At the federal level, childcare expenses are tax deductible.
• Tax credit for adoption expenses and Tax credit respecting the treatment of infertility
  
  In Québec, each of these refundable tax credits are equal to 30 % of the allowable adoption or fertility treatment expenses, but cannot exceed 6 000 $ a year.

Take it a step further

• Consult the Guide to Government Programs and Services for Families and Children, on the Web site of the Ministère de la Famille, des Aînés et de la Condition féminine
• Explore the Directory of Québec government programs and services (French only) on the Québec Portal site.
• Also visit the Web sites of:
  • Revenu Québec
  • Canada Revenue Agency