Programs

Building Blocks

Get $500 for your child’s education! If you have a child born in 2004 or later, and are living on a low or moderate income, Building Blocks can help you get the Canada Learning Bond and it won’t cost you a cent!

The Government of Canada has money for children’s education after high school. You can get this money when you open a Registered Education Savings Plan or RESP for your child.

RESPs are special accounts for your child’s education after high school. The Building Blocks program offers free information and support to help you open an RESP.

If you save your own money for your children’s education, you could get a match of up to 40% on top of the money you save.

Canada Learning Bond (CLB): Free Money for Your Child’s Education

The CLB gives you up to $2,000 of free money for children born in 2004 or later.

Who can get it?

You can get the Canada Learning Bond if you:

  • Have children born in 2004 or later;
  • Receive the National Child Benefit Supplement as part of your Child Tax Benefit

How does it work?

You will need to open an RESP for your child. You could get $500 now for each child, plus an extra $100 each year until the child turns 15, for a total of up to $2,000 in free money!

You do not have to save any of your own money in the RESP to get the Canada Learning Bond, though you can get extra money if you decide to save your own money in the RESP.

Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG): Extra Money for Your Child’s Education

The CESG adds money to what you save in an RESP.

Who can get it?

You can get the Canada Education Savings Grant if you:

  • Open an RESP for a child 15 years old or younger
  • Save money for your child’s education in the RESP

How does it work?

When you save for a child in an RESP, the CESG adds to your savings. The CESG adds at least 20% and may add even more if your income is lower. You DO have to save your own money to get the Canada Education Savings Grant. Depending on how much you save, the CESG could add up to $7,200 for each child!

How does the Building Blocks program work?

Participants start by attending a workshop. At the workshop participants can…

  • Get unbiased information about RESPs
  • Ask questions
  • Apply for Birth Certificates, if needed, to open an RESP
  • Get step by step instructions on how to open an RESP

After the workshop, we can provide one-on-one support, if needed, to help you open an RESP.

For more general information on RESPs, please refer to canlearn.ca or smartsaver.org.

To express your interest in attending a workshop, fill out the online registration form, or call us at 927-9947.