British Columbia

B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit

Easy application

Need you to file taxes and apply separately

The B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit, which replaced the BC Early Childhood Tax Benefit, provides a tax-free monthly payment to families with children under the age of 18.

If you qualify for the B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit, each year you may get:

  • $1,600 for your family’s first child
  • $1,000 for a second child
  • $800 for each subsequent child under the age of 18

The amount you receive depends on your adjusted family net income. To calculate the amount you may be able to get, visit the B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit webpage.

If your adjusted family net income is less than $25,000 per year, you will be able to get the maximum amounts shown above. If your adjusted family net income is between $25,000 and $80,000, you will get at least the amounts below, and maybe more depending on your exact income:

  • $700 per year for the first child
  • $680 per year for the second child
  • $660 per year for each subsequent child under the age of 18

The B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit is combined with the federal Canada Child Benefit (CCB) into a single monthly payment and administered by Canada Revenue Service (CRA).

This benefit is exempt as income and assets when determining eligibility for income assistance, disability assistance, and hardship assistance.

The CRA administers the B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit program for the province.

If your child is registered for the Canada Child Benefit, they're automatically registered for the B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit.

The CRA uses the information from your Canada Child Benefit registration to determine your eligibility for the B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit.

If your child is not registered for the Canada Child Benefit, you’ll need to apply for the Canada Child Benefit.

If you’re eligible, the amount of the payments will be calculated automatically by the CRA based on information from the personal tax returns you (and your spouse or common-law partner) have filed.

Last updated: September 1, 2023