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Cash-for-care benefit

Translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →

Cash-for-care benefit can be given to parents with young children who don't have a full-time, publicly subsidised kindergarten place. Who can get it, and for how long?

Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 21 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.

Cash-for-care benefit (kontantstøtte) is support for parents with young children who don't have a full-time place in a kindergarten that receives public funding.

Who can get cash-for-care benefit?

According to NAV, among other things:

the child must have turned one year old,
the child must not have a full-time place in a kindergarten that receives public funding,
both you and the child must live in Norway. If you have stayed in Norway for at least 12 consecutive months, you are considered resident,
you must meet conditions for membership of the National Insurance Scheme.

You can apply from the month the child turns one, even if you haven't applied for a kindergarten place, have declined one, or haven't been offered one. You can work and receive cash-for-care benefit at the same time, and the benefit isn't affected by your income or other benefits from NAV.

Part-time place

If the child has a part-time place, you can get 20, 40, 60 or 80 percent cash-for-care benefit, depending on how many hours per week the child attends kindergarten.

How long and how much?

NAV stated on 21 September 2026 that cash-for-care benefit can be given for a limited period, from when the child is 13 to 19 months old, and that the full benefit is 7,500 kroner a month. Check NAV's site for current rules, since this has changed before.

Who gets the money?

Whoever the child lives with permanently. If the parents live together and both apply, it is paid to the mother.

How to apply

You apply digitally at nav.no. NAV stated a processing time of around two months.

If you are refused

You can complain. The deadline is stated in the decision. Read Complain about a NAV decision.

NAV. Cash-for-care benefit (Norwegian) →

Sources

Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.

This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.