Child Maintenance (CM) is paid by a non-resident parent to help the resident parent/tutor raise their child. So if you care for a child whose other parent lives elsewhere - that parent should give you money.

Children should get basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, medical care and schooling from their parents or relatives. This support given by parents or relatives is called maintenance. Maintenance can be provided directly when the child lives with the parents or relatives or indirectly when the child lives with one parent or an slternate guardian. Maintenance will then need to be paid to the person looking after the child to provide for his/her basic needs.

Who can apply for Child Maintenance?

You can ask for Child Maintenance to be worked out and collected if any of the following apply:

• you're a parent with care of your child
• you're another person caring for a child

How much do you get?

The amount of Child Maintenance a non-resident parent has to pay usually depends on:

• the non-resident parent's income after tax
• the number of children who qualify for maintenance
• the number of other children living with the non-resident parent

How it's paid

How Child Maintenance will be paid needs to be discussed with both parents and acceptable to both parents.

For more details, visit South African Government Services