Families

Being a part of a family means dealing with matters relating to children, finances and health issues. A range of payments and services are available to provide support to families.

Who does this information apply to?

This applies to people who:

• are having a baby or adopting a child
• are looking after a child and who want to know what help is available
• are separated or divorced and who want to know how this affects those involved, including children

Financial support

Baby Bonus, which is paid in 13 fortnightly instalments, may be paid to eligible families following the birth (including stillbirth) or adoption of a child.

Parental Leave Pay and Baby Bonus cannot be paid for the same child. If you think you are eligible for both, you can choose which payment is the best financial decision for your family by using the Paid Parental Leave Comparison Estimator.

Payments such as Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate are available to help with the costs of raising children. You may be eligible if you are a carer of a child, whether it is your birth-child, grandchild, foster child or adopted child.

There are other types of financial support if you have additional responsibilities such as caring for a person with a disability, or if you are studying or looking for work.

More information

• Child Support website - How can we help?
• Child Support website - Information for parents who receive Family Tax Benefit

Health services

Services are available to assist with your family's medical cost. Couples and families can register for the Medicare Safety Net or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Safety Net to help with medical costs. This is a cap on the amount of medical costs you can accrue over the year, and helps limit your medical costs if you require ongoing medication or medical care.

More information

• Medicare website - For individuals and families