Family Allowances in Quebec and Canada: CCB and QFA

In Quebec, families with children receive two stackable allowances:

• The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) — federal
• The Quebec Family Allowance — provincial, paid by Retraite Québec

The CCB is a monthly and non-taxable amount paid for each child under 18. The amount depends on your net family income. Check current figures on the Canada Revenue Agency website.

The Quebec Family Allowance is added on top of the CCB. It includes:

• A base amount per child
• A single-parent supplement
• A school supplies supplement paid in July

Use our family allowance calculator to estimate the amounts you'll receive based on your family income.

For the CCB: you must apply the first time. If your child is born in Quebec, request the CCB on the birth registration form. If you arrive in Canada with your children, send form RC66 with Schedule RC66SCH (your status in Canada and your income) to your tax centre (CRA). A temporary resident is eligible for the CCB after living in Canada for the 18 months before applying, with a valid permit in the 19th month (who can apply). After that, file your tax return every year: the amount is recalculated from it each July.

For the Quebec Family Allowance: apply to Retraite Québec, online if you or your spouse has a SIN, otherwise with the paper form. Eligible: citizens, permanent residents, protected persons, and temporary residents who have lived in Canada for the past 18 months; someone still waiting for protected-person status (an asylum claimant) is not eligible (Retraite Québec).

The two allowances are distinct and stackable. Compared on the key parameters (2026-2027 benefit year for the CCB; 2026 figures for Quebec's allowance):

Both allowances are progressive — amounts decrease above the thresholds shown, and both are re-indexed every year.

The CCB is paid every month, usually on the 20th. The first payment arrives once your application is processed; the CRA publishes its processing times by application method.

The Quebec Family Allowance is paid four times a year, in January, April, July and October. You can ask to receive it monthly instead: payments are then made on the first business day of each month. If you were already eligible before applying, Retraite Québec can pay up to 11 months retroactively.

Quebec offers subsidized daycares at a reduced rate. Register your child once born on the Portail d'inscription aux services de garde (formerly La Place 0-5): only children already born can be registered, and spaces are allocated by the desired date of entry into childcare rather than by registration date.

To compare the monthly cost of a place in a CPE and a private daycare, tax credit included, use our daycare cost estimator.

The most common questions on family allowance: amounts based on income, shared custody rules, allowance during maternity leave, signing up before baby's SIN arrives, and payment suspensions.

Related guides may be useful:

• Get your RAMQ health insurance card — child RAMQ enrolment happens in parallel.
• New baby paperwork in Quebec — the first registrations that trigger the allowance.
• Employment Insurance in Quebec — QPIP parental benefits stack with family allowances.
• Family allowance calculator — estimate your monthly payments based on your income.
• Daycare cost calculator — your net contribution after the childcare tax credit.

For official information:

• Canada Revenue Agency
• Retraite Québec
• Ministère de la Famille (Québec Department of Families, French only)

By phone: Retraite Québec at 1 800 667-9625; Canada Revenue Agency (benefits) at 1-800-387-1193.