Swiss family allowances are governed by federal minimums but set by each canton. The federal minimum is CHF 200 per month per child up to age 16, and CHF 250 per month for children aged 16–25 in vocational training or education. Most cantons pay more — Valais, Geneva and Schaffhausen are at the top.
The allowance is paid via the employer with the monthly salary, financed by employer contributions to a cantonal family-compensation fund. Only one parent can claim per child; in two-earner couples the higher-earning spouse usually takes the allowance. Self-employed parents are entitled to allowances on the same basis since 2013.
Family allowances are fully taxable income. Cantons with above-federal-minimum tariffs include a birth allowance (CHF 1,000–3,000) and an adoption allowance of similar size. Cross-border workers receive allowances from the country of the employer, with topping-up rules for cross-border families.
A family with three children aged 4, 9 and 17 (still in school) in canton Zurich receives CHF 200 + CHF 200 + CHF 250 = CHF 650 per month, or CHF 7,800 per year. In Geneva the same family receives CHF 311 + CHF 311 + CHF 415 = CHF 1,037 per month.