The Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) is a program that provides direct financial assistance to lower and middle-income families with children under 18 in Alberta. The ACFB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on behalf of the Alberta government, and payments are made quarterly in February, May, August, and November. Families with household incomes under $180,000 can also apply for an additional $100/month for 6 months. The ACFB comprises the Alberta Child Benefit (ACB) and Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit (AFETC) . The program is aimed at helping low-and middle-income families better support their children and reduce child poverty.

To be eligible for the ACFB, you must be a parent of one or more children under 18, be a resident of Alberta, file a tax return, and meet the income criteria. Families with household incomes under $24,467 are eligible for the base component of the ACFB, and families with employment income over that threshold can also qualify for the working portion. The base component amount reduces once the family net income amount exceeds $24,467 and stops once family net income exceeds $41,000. The working component amount reduces once the family net income amount exceeds $41,000 and stops when the family net income is $61,000.

ACFB payments are non-taxable and do not impact eligibility for other social assistance programs such as Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) . Families are automatically considered for the ACFB when they file their annual tax return and qualify for the federal governments Canada Child Benefit. No further action is required. If you need to, you can apply for the Canada Child Benefit online. If you have questions about ACFB or payments, you can contact the CRA at 1-800-959-2809.