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The French social security system is wonderful for parents. The CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales)
is the organisation that deals with all child and family benefits. From the time you arrive in France if you have children,
and from pregnancy if you don't, contact your CAF for an appointment to discuss your rights. Alternatively, make an appointment
with a local "assistant(e) social(e)" for a wider discussion of your rights (in unemployment for example) - the Mairie will
give you a number to call.
The CAF pays you a monthly sum during pregnancy and at the birth of your child, through that child's life as your dependent.
For a multiple pregnancy, the CAF pays you for a single child until the birth of several live children, and then retroactively
pays the pregnancy sums for the remaining child(ren). As the child gets older, the benefits change so read the pamphlet the
CAF issues annually with care.
Once you are registered with the CAF, you will be given a "numero d'allocataire" to quote in all correspondence. You
can also use this, with your four-digit PIN number (sent to you in the mail), to access your information online: http://www.caf.fr
This article contributed by Lorraine.
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