Canadian Child & Family Benefits

Canadian child and family support is anchored by the federal Canada Child Benefit (CCB), with provincial benefits stacked on top. CCB has two defining features: (1) it's tax-free — payments don't count toward your income, and (2) it's calculated automatically — each year's tax return sets your monthly amount from July through June of the next year. That means if you don't file taxes, your CCB stops, even with eligible children at home.

CCB (Canada Child Benefit)

• Eligibility: you live with a child under 18 and are primarily responsible for their care, and you (and your spouse) are Canadian residents for tax purposes (citizens, PRs, certain work permit holders, refugees, etc.).
• How the amount is set: calculated annually from your Adjusted Family Net Income (AFNI). There's an indexed maximum per child, and children under 6 get more than children aged 6–17. For exact 2026 amounts, check canada.ca.
• Payment: monthly direct deposit. Amounts refresh in July for the new benefit year.
• Children with disabilities: the Child Disability Benefit (CDB) is added on top of CCB.
• How to apply: at birth, hospitals offer the Automated Benefits Application; otherwise file form RC66. Newcomers must apply separately after arrival.

Provincial top-ups

CCB is often paid together with a provincial child benefit based on where you live:

• Ontario: Ontario Child Benefit
• Quebec: Allocation famille — administered by Retraite Québec, applied for separately from CCB
• BC: BC Family Benefit
• Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, etc. also run their own top-ups
• Most are calculated from your tax return automatically, just like CCB.

Child-related tax benefits

• Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) — for low-income workers, with a top-up if you have children.
• Eligible Dependant Credit — a non-refundable credit a single parent can claim for a child.
• Child Care Expense Deduction — daycare and childcare costs deducted from income.
• Quebec subsidized childcare (Garderies subventionnées) — some licensed centres charge a government-set daily rate around CA$9–10. Check the latest official rate.

Things newcomers commonly miss

• CCB is not paid automatically when you arrive. You need to file RC66 and RC66SCH (residency status supplement), with the child's Canadian birth certificate or proof of entry and passport copies.
• Filing taxes is mandatory. Both you and your spouse must file every year — even with zero income — or next year's CCB and provincial top-ups will stop.
• Separation or divorce: CCB is split or shifted based on the custody arrangement (e.g., shared custody).
• If your child is briefly abroad, temporary absence can keep CCB flowing, but if residence is judged to have ended, payments stop.

Official guidance: Canada.ca: Canada Child Benefit, your provincial government's family benefits page