Birth declaration
Within5 days of the birth, you must declare it to the registry office of your city hall or of the hospital if there is one. You will need a certificate from your doctor or midwife as well as the identity cards of the parents.
In the 5 to 8 days after the declaration in your city hall, it is necessary to declare the birth to the Sécurité Sociale on their website ameli.fr or by phone at 3646.
Parents need to declare the birth as early as possible to the CAF on their website caf.fr. If you do not have an account, send the change-of-situation form by post.
You can request that your child be attached to your Carte Vitale and/or your spouse’s.
You will need to inform your complementary health insurance. The documents they will require may vary from one to another.
Parental leave and going back to work
To benefit from paternity leave, the spouse must let his employer know at least a month in advance of the reason for the leave and the planned date. This leave is divided in three parts :
- Birth leave: 3 working days (mandatory),
- Mandatory period: 4 consecutive calendar days of maternity leave (mandatory),
- Optional period: up to 21 days (or 28 in case of multiple birth), you can take it in one go or in two separate periods, for a minimum duration of 5 days for each period.
Parental education leave can begin at any moment before the 3rd birthday of your child. Its initial duration is one year, renewable twice. In case of multiple birth, it can last up until they begin kindergarten.
Financial aids
PAJE (Early Childhood Care Benefits)
The PAJE consists of 4 aids :
- PreParE (Shared Childcare Benefits)
- CMG (Free Choice of Childcare Supplement)
- PN (Birth Bonus)
- AB (Basic Allowance)
The PreParE is an aid for parents who reduce or have ceased their professional activity to care for their children under 3 years old, the duration varying depending on the number of dependent children and the situation.
The Extended PreParE
The extended PreParE is for parents who have at least two children, have been paid the PreParE before the 3rd birthday of their child and have received a refusal of admission to a nursery or a kindergarten. It is paid until the month of August following the 3rd birthday of the child, unless they are admitted in a nursery or kindergarten in the meantime.
The Increased PreParE
If a family has at least three children, they can benefit from the increased PreParE of which the paid amount is higher, but the duration is shorter.
The choice between the Extended PreParE and the Increased PreParE is final.
The CMG is a benefit that partially covers the childcare costs (approved childminder, home care, nursery, association or authorized company) for children younger than 6 years old or until their 12th birthday for single parents from September the 1st, 2025.
The PN is paid in one go during the 7th month of pregnancy. The amount depends on the household’s resources which will determine if they are eligible. To receive it, you will need to have declared the pregnancy to the CAF and the CPAM.
The AB contributes to a child’s education and maintenance costs. It is paid from the month following the birth of the child until their 3rd birthday. The amount depends on the number of dependent children (born or to be born) and the situation of the parent (a couple with one or two earnings or an isolated parent). The household’s resources must be below the applicable income limits.
The AF is paid after there is a second dependent child. They begin the month following the birth of the second child and stop when there is only one dependent child under 20. The amount depends on the number of children and the level of the household’s resources. An increase is applied once the second child reach their 14th birthday. A lump-sum grant can be paid if one of the children reach 20 years old but stay dependent and the family was paid allowances for at least three children the month before.