How to create a child account inside a family

Adding a child account to your family in KiddyCash gives that child their own digital wallet — a dedicated space where you can send allowances, track spending, and set savings goals. Whether you’re in Nairobi managing pocket money in KES or anywhere else across Africa, this guide walks you through the process from start to finish.

Before you begin

You need an active family set up in KiddyCash before you can add a child account. If you haven’t created your family yet, follow the steps in How to create a new family first, then come back here.

It also helps to have your child’s basic details on hand — their name and date of birth are required during setup.

What is a child account?

A child account is a sub-profile linked to your family. Each child gets their own wallet that sits inside your family’s structure. You control what goes in, and you can monitor how it’s used. Children can receive allowances, earn badges, and — if you choose to enable it — access family loans. Teaching kids how borrowing works early builds real financial judgment; read more about that in Why teaching kids about loans creates better financial adults.

Steps to create a child account

  1. Open the KiddyCash app and sign in with your parent account credentials.

  2. Go to your Family Overview page. This is the central dashboard that shows your family members, balances, and activity. If you’re not sure how to get there, see How to open the Family Overview page.

  3. Tap “Add member” — you’ll find this button near the top of the Family Overview page, usually represented by a person icon with a plus sign.

  4. Select “Child” from the member type options. KiddyCash distinguishes between child accounts and other member types (such as co-parents or guardians), so make sure you choose the correct one.

  5. Enter the child’s details:

    • Full name
    • Date of birth
    • An optional profile photo (you can skip this and add it later)

  6. Review the account summary and tap “Create account”. You can also go directly to the child account creation screen at kiddy.cash/family/kiddy/account/create if you want to jump straight there from a browser.

  7. Confirm with your PIN or biometric authentication. KiddyCash requires this step to protect your family’s financial data.

  8. Done. The child’s wallet is now live inside your family. You’ll see their profile appear on the Family Overview page with a KES 0.00 opening balance.

What happens next?

Once the account exists, you can:

  • Send an allowance directly to the child’s wallet using M-Pesa or your linked KiddyCash balance
  • Set up recurring allowances on a weekly or monthly schedule
  • Enable family loans so your child can borrow from the family wallet and learn to repay — a powerful financial education tool explained in detail in How family loans work as a financial education tool
  • Assign badges to reward saving habits or completed chores

Each child account is separate, so funds allocated to one child stay in their wallet and are not visible to siblings.

Troubleshooting

ProblemWhat to do
”Add member” button is greyed outYour family setup may be incomplete. Check your KYC verification status in Settings.
Child account not appearing after creationPull down to refresh the Family Overview page.
Wrong date of birth enteredGo to the child’s profile, tap Edit, and update the date of birth before any transactions are made.