Key takeaways
American Family is our top pick for flexible payments that allow parents to pay off policies sooner or choose a longer payment period with lower rates.
Mutual of Omaha earns kudos for providing lots of opportunities to increase coverage later in life.
Aflac stands out for offering term and whole life insurance for kids.
Consider Foresters child life insurance for add-on coverage that lets parents customize policies.
Reviewed monthly. Last updated: October 2025
As a parent, grandparent or legal guardian, buying life insurance for children is one way to guarantee coverage later in life.
Our list of the best life insurance for kids includes companies that offer standalone life insurance policies for children — not just child term riders. Riders are add-on coverage you typically attach to an existing policy.
We assessed age eligibility, coverage amounts available, and the ease of getting a quote or buying a policy. We also looked at additional features, like the ability to increase coverage when the child grows up.
Why trust NerdWallet
1,413 life insurance rates sets collected.
441 life insurers analyzed by our team of experts.
185 policies assessed.
Dive deeper: Ratings methodology for life insurance.
NerdWallet's life insurance content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in life insurance. We follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure the content on our site is accurate and fair so you can make financial decisions with confidence and choose the products that work best for you.
Best life insurance for children in October 2025
All of the life insurance companies listed below scored at least 3 out of 5 stars. While life insurance policies for kids aren’t an everyday purchase, it’s important to compare life insurance quotes from a few companies before making a decision.
Best for flexible payments | Available to children from 0 to 17 years old. | ||
Best for boosting coverage | Available to children from 14 days to 17 years old. | ||
Best term life for kids | Available to children 14 days to 17 years old. | ||
Best for customizable coverage | Available to children up to 18 years old. | ||
Note: With some insurers, a newborn may need to reach a certain age, such as 14 days old, before becoming eligible for coverage. | |||
NerdWallet rates insurers at the company level, not the policy level. This means our star rating reflects the company as a whole, and not its child life insurance policy specifically. | |||
Best for flexible payments: American Family
Best for flexible payments
American Family Life Insurance
- Fewer customer complaints than expected for a company its size.
- Offers a variety of term and whole life options.
- Not available in all states.
Pros
- Fewer customer complaints than expected for a company its size.
- Flexible payment plans.
Cons
- Not available in all states.
Along with its high coverage levels, American Family Life Insurance Company — also known as AmFam — stands out for its flexible payment options. You can choose a 10-year plan to pay off the policy sooner or 20-year payment plan, with lower monthly costs. Regardless of which plan you pick, the premiums are locked in.
American Family’s whole life insurance for kids has a built-in guaranteed purchase option benefit rider, which lets you increase coverage at certain ages or major life events, like getting married, buying a house or becoming a parent. American Family doesn’t require a life insurance medical exam at any of those times.
Read the full review: American Family insurance review
Best for boosting coverage: Mutual of Omaha
Best for boosting coverage
Mutual of Omaha
- Whole life insurance available without a medical exam.
- Ranks highly in J.D. Power’s latest consumer satisfaction study.
- No online quotes for term life insurance.
Pros
- Lots of opportunities as kids become adults to increase coverage.
- Ranks highly in J.D. Power’s latest consumer satisfaction study.
Cons
- Close to the expected number of complaints for life insurance for a company of its size.
Mutual of Omaha’s policy offers simplified life insurance underwriting. This means you answer three health questions about the child or grandchild you’re hoping to cover. The maximum coverage amount is relatively high at $50,000. You can buy over the phone if you’d like to speak to an agent or online.
As with most children’s whole life policies, you have the option to buy additional whole life coverage when the child is an adult and gets married, purchases a home or has a child of their own. You can increase coverage during these milestones without the need for a medical exam. Mutual of Omaha stands out for also allowing you to buy more coverage at specific birthdays: 25, 30, 35 and 40.
Read the full review: Mutual of Omaha life insurance review
Best term life insurance for kids: Aflac
Best term life for kids
Aflac
- Policies available directly from Aflac or through many workplaces.
- No online quote option or policy details on website.
- Coverage is not available in all states.
- High number of complaints.
Pros
- Offers whole and term life insurance for children.
Cons
- No online quote option or policy details on website.
- Coverage is not available in all states.
Aflac is unique for offering a choice in policies: whole life insurance or term life insurance. Both policies are available for children 14 days to 17 years old, in coverage amounts ranging from $10,000 to $30,000. The insurer doesn’t offer online quotes, so you’ll need to contact an Aflac advisor to get a quote and apply.
Like all permanent policies, Aflac’s whole life provides lifelong coverage for your child regardless of health conditions. Aflac’s term life policy would cover your child until their 25th birthday. Young adults can then convert to a whole life policy worth up to double the face amount of their term life policy without taking a medical exam.
Read the full review: Aflac life insurance review
Best for customizable coverage: Foresters Financial
Best for customizable coverage
Foresters Financial
- Long list of riders.
- Fraternal benefits for policyholders.
- Offers no-exam life insurance for type 2 diabetics.
- No online application process.
- Accepts mail-in claims only.
Pros
- Long list of riders.
- Fraternal benefits for policyholders.
Cons
- No online application process.
- Accepts mail-in claims only.
Foresters allows you to enhance your child’s or grandchild’s coverage with an array of riders. These include an accelerated death benefit rider and a family health benefit rider. The family health benefits help to cover medical expenses you might incur as a result of natural disasters. The insurer will also donate an additional 1% of the life insurance face amount to a charity of your choice in the event of the child’s death.
Foresters is a fraternal organization, so buying a policy automatically enrolls your child as a member. They can access the portal and start attending events at the age of 16. However, there’s no option to apply for coverage online — you have to go through a representative.
Read the full review: Foresters life insurance review
How we rate the best life insurance companies
✅ 441 life insurers reviewed
📝 185 policies assessed
🔢 1,315 data points analyzed
📊 Star rating categories
When NerdWallet evaluates life insurance companies, our editorial team considers the insurer's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the things that matter most to customers buying a long-term financial product. We then weigh these factors carefully:
💰 Financial strength (40%). We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s financial stability and ability to pay claims far into the future. The top life insurance companies have an exceptional financial strength rating of A+ or A++ (Superior).
🗣️ Consumer complaints (40%). Our top-rated life insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators over a three-year period, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners — so you can expect a smoother customer experience.
👀 Policy detail availability (10%). Our methodology gives higher scores to transparent insurers who clearly display information about their policy options, coverage amounts and term lengths (if applicable) on their site.
☎️ Ease of communication (10%). Insurers who allow consumers to contact them by email, phone and live chat earn the highest scores.
⭐ What our star ratings mean
Companies with 5 stars are exceptional, with strong financials, diverse policy lineups and great reputations for customer service.
Companies with 4.5 stars are excellent, with solid financials and policy offerings, and good customer service track records.
Companies with 4.0 stars are good, and potentially great for people looking for niche coverage options.
Companies with 3.5 stars or fewer could do better in certain categories, like financial strength and customer complaints.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings or our reviews. Read more about our life insurance ratings methodology and editorial guidelines.
What is life insurance for children?
Although it’s not typical for kids to have life insurance policies, insuring the life of your child is similar to insuring any adult. In simple terms, a child life insurance policy is still a contract with the life insurer that pays out a death benefit if the insured child passes away.
The main difference between adult life insurance and kids’ life insurance is that the beneficiary on a child life insurance policy is usually the parent. Children’s life insurance can take the form of either term or permanent life insurance, but whole life insurance for kids is more common.
Pros and cons of life insurance for kids
Whether you’re considering buying baby life insurance or coverage for an older child, there are a few things to consider. On the one hand, buying whole life insurance early enables you to give your child lifelong coverage without a medical exam. However, death benefits on these policies are typically small and your child may not have the financial resources as an adult to expand coverage.
Some parents want the option of using life insurance to build cash value that children can use later as adults. Just keep in mind that there are several other ways to save money for your child that might provide a better rate of return.
Life insurance for children: Term vs. whole life
Choosing between term or whole life insurance for your child depends on your priorities. Permanent life policies such as whole life insurance are the best option if you’d like to secure lifelong coverage for your child. This may be particularly useful if your child has a chronic health condition.
Term life insurance for kids is significantly more affordable, but won’t provide the option to build any cash value that could be borrowed against or withdrawn later in adulthood.
Alternatives to life insurance policies for kids
If you don’t want to buy a separate policy for a child, consider adding a child term rider to your own life insurance policy. This rider can cover multiple children, and pay out a small amount — such as $5,000 to $25,000 — if a child dies.
Keep in mind you’ll need to opt into this life insurance rider when you purchase your policy, but any children born or adopted once the policy is in place will typically be covered. This can be a helpful baby life insurance option for parents as newborns become eligible at birth.
Another option is to take advantage of supplemental life insurance offered through your employer. Some policies cover eligible dependents, such as children. Speak to your benefits coordinator to find out if your workplace offers this coverage.
More about top-rated life insurance companies
Looking for a different type of life insurance policy? Check out NerdWallet’s top picks across these categories:
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy life insurance for a child?
Can you buy life insurance for a child?
Some companies offer standalone life insurance policies for children, and others allow you to add extra coverage to your own policy to cover a child.
Do I need the child’s consent to take out a policy?
Do I need the child’s consent to take out a policy?
No. While you usually need permission when buying life insurance for someone else, that only applies to adults. However, in general, you must be a parent, grandparent or legal guardian to buy coverage for a child.
Can I buy life insurance for a child at any age?
Can I buy life insurance for a child at any age?
Most life insurance companies will only insure a child up to the age of 18, though there are exceptions.
