What is the Groeipakket?

Every child living in Flanders receives a Groeipakket. The Groeipakket consists of child benefits and other financial benefits to support families in raising their children. It is a package tailored to each child in each family. The amount you get, therefore, depends on your situation. As such, children in Flanders get every opportunity to grow and develop.

Am I entitled to the Groeipakket?

Any child living in Flanders who has the Belgian nationality or a right of residence is entitled to the Groeipakket. From the age of 18, however, there are additional requirements
If your child has a temporary protection certificate, your child has a right of residence. With this certificate, you have to register in the municipality where you reside. Your registration serves as proof that you live in Flanders. 
From the moment you register in a Flemish municipality as a temporarily protected person, you are entitled to the Groeipakket

If you have fled Ukraine, you can legally reside in Belgium if you are:

  • Ukrainian, have international protection status in Ukraine or are recognised as a stateless person there.
  • a family member of such a person: a spouse or assimilated partner, unmarried minor child or other close relative who lived with and depends on this person.
  • a third-country national with unrestricted right of residence in Ukraine and cannot safely and permanently return to (your region within) your country of origin.

Is my child entitled to a Groeipakket if they are over 18 and continue their studies in Ukraine by taking online classes?

We can investigate whether your child's field of study meets the requirements. For this, have a form P7int filled in and submit it to the payment fund where you applied for a Groeipakket. 
Have you not yet applied for a Groeipakket? Do so with one of the 5 payment funds and let it know that you will also submit a P7int.

Am I also entitled to the Groeipakket if I do not live in Flanders but in another part of Belgium?

For the basic amounts, you have to apply at a payment fund in the part of the country where you live. If your child attends Flemish childcare or a Flemish school, you may be entitled to the childcare allowance or toddler allowance once your child meets the conditions.

Your entitlement to a school allowance can be examined from the next school year 2022-2023. You can only apply for this if you are still living in Belgium on 31/08/2022 and your child is enrolled in a Flemish school at the beginning of the next school year.

Do I have to apply for the Groeipakket myself?

Yes, you have to apply for your Groeipakket at one of the five Groeipakket payment funds.

Are you a professional assisting Ukrainian families?

Then use this simple application tool to apply for the family's Groeipakket. You will need the national register numbers and preferably a bank account number to complete the application. To fast-track these Groeipakket applications, FONS, the public Groeipakket payment fund, will process them as a priority. After that, the family is free to switch to another payment fund if it so wishes.

The family can of course also apply on its own. In that case, they can choose a Groeipakket payment fund and submit the application digitally, by e-mail or on paper, like any other family.

A roadmap can be found at the bottom of this page in Dutch, Ukrainian, English and Russian.

How much is the Groeipakket?

The monthly basic amount is €176.66 per child. This can be supplemented by a social allowance and a care allowance depending on your situation. A school bonus is also paid annually at the beginning of August. Under certain conditions, you can receive a childcare allowance, a toddler allowance or a school allowance as part of the Groeipakket.

Who receives the Groeipakket?

The Groeipakket is paid to the parent(s)/guardian(s) staying in Belgium
In certain situations, the Groeipakket is paid to the child itself.

How is the Groeipakket paid?

The Groeipakket is paid into an account. Send your account number to your Groeipakket payment fund as soon as possible. As a person under temporary protection, you can open an account at a Belgian financial institution. If you have not yet opened a Belgian account, we advise you to do so as soon as possible to ensure secure payments. In exceptional situations, the Groeipakket can also be paid by cheque.

When do I receive the Groeipakket?

The Groeipakket for a particular month is always paid at the beginning of the following month. For example, the Groeipakket for the month of March will be paid around the 7th of April.

What should I do if my situation changes?

Inform your payment fund of any changes in your situation.                                                                                        
Also remember to inform your municipality when you change your address. 

Are you moving abroad with the children? Then be sure to inform your payment fund. 
Has your current family income decreased and were you not yet entitled to the social allowance? If so, you can ask your payment fund to examine your entitlement to a social allowance.
Is your child over 18 and does your it end its studies? Is it starting to work full-time? Inform your payment fund.

When I am hosted by a host family, does this affect the Groeipakket?

The Groeipakket considers your family and the host family as two separate families. As such, your situation will not affect the host family's Groeipakket. Conversely, the host family's situation will not affect your Groeipakket either.

Roadmap

Download the roadmap about the Groeipakket for families from Ukraine, in Dutch, Ukrainian (Пакет зростання у Фландрії - Українська), English and Russian.