Raising a family is an honourable activity that keeps Canada strong, and the federal government offers financial assistance to make the task easier for families in need.

The National Child Benefit program is a joint federal, provincial and territorial initiative that helps to reduce child poverty, promote parental involvement in the workforce, and diminish duplication in government programs and services. The federal government introduced its own program a decade ago in the form of the National Child Benefit Supplement.

The program is run by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which encourages eligible individuals and families to apply for benefits and credits. In 2007, the CRA issued more than $16 billion in 85 million benefit payments to 11 million recipients. Families need to know that we are here to help where there is a legitimate need.

Last year, about three million families benefitted from Canada Child Tax Benefit payments. This is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under the age of 18. The CRA recalculates entitlement each July based on the family’s net income from the previous year. Some individuals can become eligible to receive child and family benefits if their family net income has decreased.

The Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) is designed to help Canadian families balance work and family life. This benefit supports their child care choices through direct financial support. The UCCB is for children under the age of six years and is paid in installments of $100 per month per child. In 2007, more than 1.4 million families received UCCB assistance.

To receive these child and family benefits, individuals must complete a Canada Child Benefits Application that can be downloaded from the Canada Revenue Agency web site. Individuals and their spouses or common-law partners are required to file their 2007 Income Tax and Benefit Return even if there is no income to report.

In 2007, more than nine million individuals benefited from the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax credit. The GST/HST credit is a tax-free quarterly payment that helps individuals and families with modest incomes to offset all or part of the GST or HST they have paid.

For more information on eligibility criteria and how your family could benefit from these programs and services, check out the Child and Family Benefits link on the Canada Revenue Agency web site at www.cra.gc.ca/benefits or call 1 800 387-1193. For information about the GST/HST credit, contact the CRA at 1 800 959-1953. To acquire immediate access to information about your child and family benefits, visit www.cra.gc.ca/quickaccess.

Family benefits are an important government component to nurture the children who will become our leaders of tomorrow.

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The audio version of Garry's August 25, 2008 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here