Government financial assistance

Depending on your own financial situation and that of the child, you may be entitled to various government benefits as parent or dative tutor. Here is a list of the main programs and the names of the government departments and agencies that administer them.

Child care

Are you responsible for caring for the child? You may be eligible for the following programs:

Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
Reference: Canada Revenue Agency
National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS)
Référence : Canada Revenue Agency
Child Assistance
Reference: Régie des rentes du Québec
Deduction or refundable tax credit for daycare expenses
- Revenu Québec
- Canada Revenue Agency

Health

Find out from the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec about the reimbursement of:

dentistry expenses (child under 10);
optometry fees (child under 18).

Education

If the child is a student, you may benefit from the following grants:

Canada Education Savings Grant
The child must have a Registered Education Savings Plan. The grant amount depends on the parents' income.
Reference: Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Canada Learning Bond
Again the child must have a Registered Education Savings Plan. The program is intended for low-income families and the maximum term of the grant is 15 years.

Reference: Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Disabled children

Tax exemption

The Taxation Act does not require indemnities received as damages by a person under 21 to be declared as part of their taxable income. The same applies to the interest earned on these indemnities.

Taxation act, art. 494

Income tax act, article 81

The following programs are available:

Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) – Child Disability Benefit supplement
A non-taxable benefit for families meeting the needs of a child under 18 with a severe and prolonged deficit affecting their mental or physical functions; also called the disability tax credit

Reference: Canada Revenue Agency
Child Assistance – Supplement for handicapped children
Program to assist families with the care, treatment and education of a child whose physical or mental disability severely restricts daily activities. The disability must be expected to last at least one year. A fixed amount of financial assistance is provided, regardless of the type of disability or family income.

Reference: Régie des rentes du Québec
Allowance for special needs - Youth
Program for children with a major functional disability (physical) who need a device or equipment to compensate for the effects of their disability and enable them to attend school or receive home schooling.

Reference: Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec

Sources of funding for assistive devices

The person for whom you are responsible may require some sort of assistive device. We have compiled an interactive directory listing the main sources, mostly government agencies, to which you can apply for funding.

If the child's disability is the result of a road accident, contact the Société d'assurance automobile du Québec for more information.

If the child is an orphan

Are you taking care of the child? If the parents made sufficient contributions to the Québec Pension Plan, you may apply for an orphan's pension, which will be paid until the child turns 18.

Reference: Régie des rentes du Québec