I'm expecting a child

Verified 23 November 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

My pregnancy being confirmed by a doctor, I have to take certain steps before and after the birth of my child, to establish filiation and obtain certain aids. Here are the steps and how to do them.

What applies to you ?

As soon as my pregnancy is confirmed by my doctor, I have to take certain steps.

I register with a maternity or nursing home
I'm transmitting my declaration of pregnancy my health insurance fund and my family allowance fund (Caf: titleContent or MSA: titleContent) and I am inquiring about the birth premium and the basic allowance for the Early Childhood Care Benefit (ECEC)
I do the compulsory medical examinations
I'm entitled to absence permits to get there, as well as person i live with as a couple.
I'm checking on the payment of health expenses
I'm asking home help, if I am facing medical or social and financial difficulties
I can, starting on 1^re medical consultation during pregnancy and at the latest before the end of 5^e month of pregnancy declare a referent midwife. This midwife accompanies me from pregnancy to motherhood. This declaration is made with the Health Insurance and remains valid for 14 weeks after delivery.

The father can recognize the child in pregnancy, when the parents of the unborn child are not married.

If it is 1^er as a child of the couple, parents choose the surname the child will wear. It could be the mother's name, father's name, or both. This choice should be indicated at the time of birth declaration.

FYI

if you are a couple of women, you have to go through a joint recognition.

Outdoor guard mode

If I want my child to be cared for by another person, I take the necessary steps:

Registration in nursery
Reception by a licensed childminder and i'm looking into the supplementary free choice of mode of care (Cmg) of the Early Childhood Care Benefit (ECEC)
Reception (a few half-days a week) at a drop-in center, if my municipality plans to do so

Other choice

I'm looking into the Shared Child Education Benefit (PreParE). This is useful if I decide to take parental leave. This choice can be made by the person with whom i live as a couple.
I can also choose to resign from my job after birth, to raise my child. I won't have to give notice or pay severance pay

I have a job

I can declare my pregnancy to my employer, which allows me to ask him:

Arrangements for pregnant women in my workplace, such as reduction of my working hours (if possible in my company) and absence permits to attend mandatory medical examinations
A temporary reclassification when my work is incompatible with my pregnancy, especially if I work in a night shift or a exposure to certain risks, or that my medical condition requires it

Please note

the person i live with as a couple may obtain from his employer leave of absence to accompany me to the mandatory medical examinations.

During my pregnancy:

I have a protection against dismissal
I can resign from my job without notice or payment of severance pay

I'm looking into the length of maternity leave of an employee or of a public-sector official (official or contractor).

Before going on maternity leave, I have to notify my employer.

I'm unemployed

I can declare my pregnancy to France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)
I'm checking on the maternity leave
I must notify France Travail before going on maternity leave

Please note

the person i live with as a couple may obtain from his employer leave of absence to accompany me to the mandatory medical examinations.

Aid

I can ask for various help:

Family allowances,
Active Solidarity Income (RSA)under certain conditions
Out of Home Child Care Expense Tax Credit
Tax credit or tax reduction for home child care
If I take up a job or start training and raise my child alone, I can ask France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) for a childcare aid
If my child suffers from an illness, disability or a serious accident, I can apply for parental leave. The steps to take vary according to who I am wage earner or that I'm a public official (official or contract staff).

If I have at least 3 children, I can ask for the large family card

Adoption

If I want my child to be adopted by the person with whom I have i live as a coupleI'm just looking into the special procedure provided for in this case.

Means of custody

Outdoor guard mode

If I want my child to be cared for by another person, I take the necessary steps:

Registration in nursery
Reception by a licensed childminder and i'm looking into the supplementary free choice of mode of care (Cmg) of the Early Childhood Care Benefit (ECEC)
Reception (a few half-days a week) at a drop-in center, if my municipality plans to do so

Other choice

I'm looking into the Shared Child Education Benefit (PreParE). This can be useful if I decide to take parental leave. This choice can be made by the person with whom i live as a couple.
I can choose to resign from my job after birth, to raise my child. I won't have to give notice or pay severance pay

Employment-Labor

If I am working and want more time to take care of my child, I check according to my situation:

if i am employed, on parental leave at full-time or to part-time
if i'm a public official, on the parental leave, or part-time as civil servant or contractual.

FYI

this choice may be made by the person with whom i live as a couple.

I choose the first name and the name of the child
If it is 1^er as a child of the couple, the parents choose the child's surname. It can be the mother's name, the father's name or these two names. This choice should be indicated at the time of birth declaration.
I have the birth declared or declared of my child

The father of my child or the person with whom i live as a couple may be granted legal birth leave of at least 3 days, whether or not

I inform the organizations that administer various benefits concerning me of the birth:

Family Allowance Fund (Caf or MSA)
Health insurance fund
Complementary health (for example, my mutual)

I inform the taxes in order to adapt my withholding tax on my space "taxes.gouv.fr" (Manage my direct debit, then Declare a change and choose birth adding my child to the dependants):

Taxes: access your Special Space

If I am a tenant of social housing, I inform the social landlord of the birth:

to obtain a solidarity rent reduction,
to achieve a reduction in the solidarity rent supplement (SLS)Yeah, if I pay him.

My child's father or the person with whom i live as a couple may apply for paternity or foster leave if the child is or is:

salaried worker
or public official (official or contractor)
or self-employed worker, or collaborating spouse, or medical practitioner or auxiliary

If it's my 3^e as a child and as a salaried employee, i can ask for the early release of all or part of my salary savings (or that of my child's other parent).