Maternity allowance and child benefit
Anyone expecting a baby in Flanders is entitled to a Starting amount (maternity fee or maternity allowance) of €1,167.33. Families must apply for this themselves. For more information, please visit our maternity allowance page to find out everything you need to know. There are five child benefit funds who can pay the Startbedrag. Once you’ve given birth, the child benefit (Groeipakket) will follow automatically.
Which organisation should I choose to pay my child benefit?
Each organisation pays the same Groeipakket amounts to families, as these are set by law. Below you can find a handy overview of the five recognised organisations that pay your child benefit to help you and other families choose the right one for you. If you’re thinking of joining MyFamily, read more about why that’s a good idea here.
All the information in the overview has come from the websites of the various organisations that pay child benefit. If you’d like more detailed information on the organisations’ opening hours, click on each organisation’s logo to visit its website.
Note: Branches have varying opening hours due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact hours (phone) | Every business day | Every business day from 08:00 to 17:00 | Every business day from 08:30 to 17:00 Fridays until 15:00 | Every business day from 08:00 to 18:00 Tuesdays until 20:00 Fridays until 16 | Every business day from 07:30 to 17:00 Tuesdays until 13:30 and Mondays until 18:00 |
| Video chat possible | No | No | No | Yes | Not yet, but soon |
| Branches | Antwerpen, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Hasselt | Brussels, Drongen, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Leuven, Wilrijk | Antwerpen, Bruges, Brussel, Eeklo, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortrijk | Antwerpen, Bruges, Ghent, Hasselt, Herentals, Kortrijk, Mechelen, Sint-Niklaas, Turnhout | Aalst, Antwerpen, Bruges, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Leuven, Ternat |
| Branch opening hours | Every business day from 09:00 to 16:30 | Every business day from 08:00 to 17:00 During school holidays from 08:30 to 16:30 | Every business day from 08:30 to 17:00 | Every business day from 08:00 to 16:00 | Every business day from 08:30 to 16:30 |
| Opening hours during the coronavirus pandemic | Antwerpen en Brussels, No appointment required. Bruges, Ghent and Hasselt, Appointment required on some days; appointment not required on others. | All branches: With or without an appointment from 08:00 to 17:00. Brussels: By appointment. | All branches: by appointment | All branches: Without an appointment or by appointment. | All branches: Monday to Thursday without an appointment, other days by appointment. |
Information correct as of 22 November 2021. Click on the logos for the latest information.
