French help with childcare costs in France
France does not cap a rate and refund a share of it. A crèche place is priced from your own income, and for a childminder or a micro-crèche the CAF pays up to a monthly ceiling that falls as income rises. In 2026 that is €0.50–€5.26 an hour for crèche place (PSU), up to €797.80 a month for registered childminder (assistante maternelle), up to €992.13 a month for micro-crèche, and up to €984 a month for care at home (garde à domicile). Checked 21 September 2026.
General information, not financial advice; prices are estimates.
What each route costs
| Type of care | What the figure is |
|---|---|
| Crèche place (PSU) | €0.50–5.26 an hour |
| Registered childminder (assistante maternelle) | up to €797.80 a month |
| Micro-crèche | up to €992.13 a month |
| Care at home (garde à domicile) | up to €984 a month |
- Crèche place (PSU)
- You are billed an hourly rate worked out from your own income, and the CAF pays the rest to the crèche directly. The rate is a national effort rate applied to your monthly income: 0.0619% for one child, 0.0516% for two, 0.0413% for three, 0.0310% for four to seven. Income is counted from two years earlier, floored at €814.62 a month and capped at €8,500 — which is what produces this range.
- Registered childminder (assistante maternelle)
- Paid as the CMG, a monthly ceiling that falls as income rises: for one child in 2026 it runs from €797.80 in the lowest income band to €502.93 in the middle and €301.73 in the highest. Only the first €8 gross an hour counts towards it.
- Micro-crèche
- A private nursery, paid through the CMG rather than the crèche scale, up to this much a month depending on your income band.
- Care at home (garde à domicile)
- Someone caring for the child in your own home, also paid through the CMG and also banded by income.
Four things that change the figure
- The CMG never pays more than the care actually cost you.
- The ceilings are raised by 40% for a lone parent.
- They are raised by 30% where a child receives the AEEH disability allowance.
- The claim cannot be made in advance: it goes in once the child is born and the care has started.
Where these figures come from
Figures for 2026, checked 21 September 2026. Each one is reviewed on its own timetable rather than on a single date in the year.
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