Vacaf grants provide financial assistance to parents who wish to go on family vacation. Conditions, amount, procedures… Here is all the information you need to know about Vacaf aid.
Families who cannot afford to go on holiday can receive financial assistance from the Family Allowance Fund (Caf) or the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA). These two organizations offer holiday aid, called Vacaf. Originally created in 1999 by the Caf de l’Hérault, they are now offered by almost all the other departmental funds. They allow you to take partially covered, up to 40% up to 70%, the costs related to the stay of a family or a child. The rest is to be paid by the families. They are paid according to certain conditions and in particular according to the daily family life of the household. In this device, there are two aids:help with family holidays (Avf) and thehelp with children’s holidays (Ave).
What are the conditions for benefiting from family vacation assistance (VACAF)?
Parents who can claim help with family vacations must meet 3 conditions:
- Receiving a family benefit from the Caf or the MSA, whether in their name, that of their spouse or that of their dependent children.
- Have one or more dependent children. The age criteria for children are specific to each department.
- Have a family daily less than or equal to 700 euros, variable according to Caf and MSA.
What is the amount of the AVF?
The amount of aid for family holidays is changeable. It depends on your family situation and your family quotient, but also on the organization on which you depend. For example, in 2023, the amount is capped at 1,100 euros in Paris for a family with 3 or more children, compared to 910 euros by the Caf de l’Isère for a family with a family quotient between 0 and 440 euros. .
AVF support is calculated on the accommodation cost and therefore on the rental of the accommodation or the pitch, to which is added the catering in the case of a full board or half board package. Generally, the Caf and the MSA cover 50 to 70% of the cost of the stay. Note that the AVF can be combined with leisure vouchers (or ATL free time aid), granted by the Caf and the MSA.
You do not have to apply to obtain the AVF. If you are eligible for this aid, you are informed during the first quarter of the calendar year by post or by email which indicates the amount of your support. If you have not received a notification, but think you are entitled to family vacation assistance, you can contact the service of your Caf or your MSA. After your request is processed, here’s what to do:
- Once you have received your VACAF letter indicating that you can claim the AVF, then go to the site vacaf.org.
- Choose the department of holidays, then the type of accommodation (campsite, apartment, etc.), as well as the desired services.
- Once the center has been selected, all you have to do is call it, tell it that you are a beneficiary of the AVF and give it your beneficiary number so that it can determine your assistance.
- The center then calculates the amount remaining at your expense. If it suits you, you just need to send a deposit to confirm your reservation.
- The chosen structure then takes care of booking your stay on the vacaf.org website. Please note that the AVF is paid on condition that the stay has been completed.
How to benefit from the aid for children’s holidays?
The conditions for benefiting from the AVE are the same as those for the AVF. The parents of the child must be beneficiaries upstream of a family benefit paid by the Caf or the MSA. They must also have one or more dependent children and have a family quotient less than or equal to a certain sum (amount which varies according to the departments). The cost of the AVE is calculated in relation to the cost of the stay and the accommodation chosen. In principle, on this aid, the Caf and the MSA participate up to 40% to 70%. Note that the AVE can also be combined with leisure vouchers (or ATL), paid by the Caf and the MSA.
What is the amount of the AVE?
The amount of the AVE varies according to your family situation, your financial situation and the organization on which you depend. This year, in Paris for example, the Caf pays 30 euros per day and per child whose family quotient is less than or equal to 350 euros. The amount rises to 60 euros for a child who benefits from the AEEH and who meets the same family quotient.
How to request it?
As for the AVF, there are no steps to take to obtain the AVE. If you meet the award criteria, a letter or email will be sent to you by your Caf or the MSA at the beginning of the calendar year. If this is not the case, contact your organization so that your situation can be examined.
What holidays can we choose?
In France, more than 3,600 structures or centers are labeled VACAF allow you to go as a family to the sea, the mountains or the countryside. These centers can be, depending on the Caf and the MSA on which you depend, houses, of the campsites (pitches, caravans, mobile homes, chalets) or apartments. You can also choose the formula that suits you in terms of meals, namely the board or half board if you want to avoid shopping and meals, or renting which allows more freedom. The stay can also take place abroad, always in centers with the VACAF label. Regarding holidays for children, they can choose to go to France or abroad in a colonyor one language holiday centersporting, artistic or cultural. Good to know : the length of stay chosen is generally a maximum of 14 nights, and Vacaf aid is granted only once a year.
If you do not know your family quotient, know that it is indicated on your CAF online account in the “My account” and “My payments and rights” section. To calculate it, simply divide your annual taxable income for year N-2 by 12. Add to this figure the family benefits received during the month of January of the current year. Then divide the amount obtained by your number of tax shares and you will obtain your family quotient.
Sources: Holiday aid for children and families (AVE or AVF). Public Service website.
Vacaf aids. Caf website