Toddler Allowance: Growth Package premium for toddlers
What is the Toddler Allowance?
- One-off premium amounting to 143,53 euros.
- For 3- and 4-year-old toddlers who attend a Dutch-speaking school
- Paid the month following their birthday.
How do you obtain the toddler allowance?
Do you live in Flanders? Then you don't have to do a thing. The toddler allowance is paid automatically as soon as the Ministry of Education and Training sends the enrolment information to the child benefit payment provider.
Please note: if you live in Brussels or Wallonia - and your child attends a Dutch-language school in Flanders or Brussels-capital - this does not happen automatically and you must actively apply for the toddler allowance.
Who receives the toddler allowance?
Your child must satisfy a number of conditions in order for you to receive the toddler allowance.
- Your child attends a Dutch-speaking kindergarten in Flanders or Brussels Capital.
- For 3-year-old children:
- Your child turns 3 on or after 1/1/2019.
- Your child is enrolled in a Dutch-language school in time, meaning before 3 years and 2 months of age.
- For 4-year-old children:
- Your child turns 4 on or after 1/1/2019.
- Your child remains enrolled in a Dutch-language school.
- Your child attends a minimum number of hours at school. This implies: 150 half school days in the first kindergarten class or 185 half school days in the second kindergarten class during the school year.
Can you check all the boxes? Then your toddler is entitled to the Toddler Allowance..
For example: Senne was born on 15 juni 2020. On 1 februari 2023 he starts attending kindergarten. The moments he reaches his 3rd birthday, he will be entitled to the Toddler Allowance.
Apply for the Toddler Allowance?
Do you live in Flanders? Then you do not have to apply. The Toddler Allowance is paid automatically as soon as the Ministry of Education and Training forwards the enrolment data to the child benefit fund.
Attention: if you live in Brussels or Wallonia - and your child attends a Dutch-speaking school in Flanders or Brussels-Capital - this does not happen automatically. Then you do have to apply for the Toddler Allowance yourself.
How much is the toddler allowance?
All 3- and 4-year-old toddlers who satisfy the conditions receive a toddler allowance of EUR 143,53 per year.
Child Benefit is always paid on the 8th of each month. If the 8th falls on a weekend, then we will pay it on the last working day prior to that weekend. Please check our payment calendar for the various payment dates.
The maximum age for Child Benefit and Growth Package entitlement is 25 years. From the age of 18 upwards, you must satisfy certain criteria in order to retain your Child Benefit and Growth Package entitlement. No regular or automatic substitute applies once your entitlement to Child Benefit has ceased. If your child was entitled to a Care Allowance due to a specific support requirement, then they may be entitled to a Disability Allowance once their Child Benefit entitlement has ceased. Please note that this is not an automatic entitlement. It must be requested and the application subsequently investigated.
Grandparents can receive Child Benefit for their grandchildren if they are registered at their address. This is on the condition that the parents are not registered at this same address.
The maximum Growth Package and Child Benefit entitlement is up to and including the month of your 25th birthday. The final payment will therefore take place at the beginning of the month following your 25th birthday. Please note that from the age of 18 upwards you must satisfy a number of criteria in order to retain your Child Benefit entitlement.
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