The government has disbursed Nu 246.109 million under the Third Child Plus Programme since payments began in June this year, with 6,667 children receiving the monthly Nu 10,000 allowance as of September 30.
The programme, which provides monthly financial support to eligible children during the first three years of their lives, has continued to expand since its introduction, with the number of eligible beneficiaries rising from the initial 5,458 to 6,871.
According to the Ministry of Health, payments for October and November are currently being processed. “The cumulative amount disbursed will be reflected in the ministry’s next monthly report,” according to the ministry.
The increase in beneficiaries comes as the programme continues to identify eligible children through updated lists provided by the Department of Civil Registration and Census every month. The ministry said the programme does not operate on a fixed beneficiary list, allowing new eligible children to be enrolled as they are identified and verified.
Of the 5,458 children initially identified, 5,440 have completed verification and received their payments. Twelve children were found ineligible during the verification process, while six are yet to receive their allowances because the programme management unit (PMU) has been unable to establish contact with their families.
“The PMU is coordinating with the Department of Civil Registration and Census to reach these families and facilitate their payments,” the ministry said.
The first disbursement was made on July 26, covering allowances for June and July together, following delays in the initial payment process. Since then, monthly payments have been processed as scheduled for beneficiaries whose details were verified in advance. The ministry said that children verified at a later stage received their accumulated entitlements in subsequent payment cycles. “Ensuring that eligible beneficiaries did not lose allowances accrued from their respective dates of eligibility.”
The ministry, however, clarified that the total disbursement does not mean every beneficiary has received three full monthly payments. “The amount received by each child depends on their date of eligibility and for children born after the 15th of a month, the first month’s allowance is prorated.”
The programme is also open to eligible Bhutanese families living abroad, provided their children are registered as Bhutanese citizens in the Civil Registration and Census System. However, the ministry has not provided a separate figure for families residing overseas who have registered for or received the allowance.
While the programme’s reach is growing, maintaining the monthly payments will require a substantial and sustained financial commitment from the government.
The Third Child Plus Programme Framework and Implementation Guideline estimates that the programme will require approximately Nu 1.5 billion over three years and Nu 2.2 billion over five years.
The ministry said future programme costs will be incorporated into the national budget through the annual budgeting process.
“Overall oversight and coordination rest with the Office of the Cabinet Affairs and Strategic Coordination (OCASC), which reviews the programme’s progress every quarter,” the ministry said adding, the MoH, through the PMU, submits financial reports to the Ministry of Finance and provides progress updates to OCASC.
The Ministry of Finance is responsible for mobilising resources, allocating the required budget and ensuring timely release of funds.
The ministry said that the annual financial requirement is expected to vary as children leave the programme upon reaching three years of age. Moreover, the ministry said that the framework also provides for periodic reviews of programme parameters, including eligibility, the benefit amount and the duration of support, in response to changing demographic trends. Despite the growing number of beneficiaries, the programme’s actual impact on children’s health and wellbeing is yet to be established.
The ministry said it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about how the allowance is helping families meet children’s needs, particularly in healthcare, nutrition and childcare, as the programme is still in its early stages of implementation.
The monthly support is intended to ease the financial burden on families and help them meet essential expenses, including nutritious food, healthcare and other childcare needs during the first three years of a child’s life.
The ministry, in coordination with OCASC, will continue to monitor implementation and assess the programme’s contribution to children’s health, nutrition and overall wellbeing.
The broader objective, the ministry said, is not only to provide financial assistance but also to ensure that children receive the care, nutrition and support they need during the critical early years of development.
Meanwhile, the programme was launched on June 4, 2026, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, in response to concerns over Bhutan’s declining birth rate and changing population structure. It aims to encourage larger families while easing the financial burden of raising children. Under the initiative, eligible third and subsequent children receive Nu 10,000 a month until they turn three.
Nidup Lhamo, Thimphu
