Birth and adoption

The Family Allowance is paid by Retraite Québec to assist families. The program consists of:

Financial assistance for all children

  • Family Allowance
    The Family Allowance payment is a form of financial assistance paid to all eligible families with one or more dependent children under the age of 18 living with them.

Financial assistance for the purchase of school supplies

  • The Supplement for the Purchase of School  Supplies
    This annual financial assistance of $115 per child, is intended for families who receive Family Allowance payments for children aged 4 to 16 as of 30 September and who have custody of them for the month in which the Supplement is paid.

Financial assistance for handicapped children

  • The Supplement for Handicapped Children
    The purpose of the Supplement for Handicapped Children is to provide financial assistance for families to help with the care and education of a handicapped child. The impairment or mental function disability must be serious and must significantly limit the child in carrying out life habits for a period expected to last at least one year.
  • Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care
    The measure provides parents with financial assistance in assuming extraordinary responsibilities in administering care to or being constantly present for a child with a serious illness or severe disabilities.

When to file an application?

If your child is born in Québec, you do not have to apply to receive Family Allowance. When the birth of a child is declared to the Directeur de l'état civil This link will open in a new window., the child is automatically signed up for the Family Allowance measure. 

You must file an application for Family Allowance Payments if:

  • you adopt a child
  • you are an immigrant or become a resident of Québec
  • your child arrives in or returns to Québec
  • you live in Québec but your child was born outside Québec
  • you obtain custody of a child
  • you obtain shared custody of a child
  • you retain custody of a child following a separation or the death of your spouse and you are not already receiving Family Allowance in your name.
  • Retraite Québec requires an application to be filed.

Access your file online at any time!

My Account allows you to:

  • update your information
  • file and track your applications
  • find out the amounts that you have received or will receive
  • receive and consult your documents digitally only
  • sign up for notifications to receive an email and/or a text message when changes are made to your file or when a document is uploaded to your file.

Your first payment

We will send you your first Family Allowance payment within a maximum of 40 days following receipt of the declaration of your child's birth from the Directeur de l'état civil This link will open in a new window..

Note that...
  • We can pay Family Allowance retroactively for a period of 11 months from the date an application is received if all of the eligibility requirements are met.
  • To receive Family Allowance, both parents must file their Québec income tax return, even if one or both of them do not have any income to declare. For more information on the income tax return, see Revenu Québec's Website This link will open in a new window.

Schedule of payments

The Family Allowance payments are made on the first working day of each quarter or month. See our schedule of payments for 2023.

Other useful information

Top of page