The best life insurance for children at a glance
American Family: Best for flexible payment structures.
Mutual of Omaha: Best for boosting coverage over time.
Aflac: Best for policy options.
Foresters: Best for customizable coverage.
As a parent, grandparent or legal guardian, buying life insurance for children is one way to guarantee coverage for them later in life.
Our list of the best life insurance for kids includes companies that offer standalone life insurance policies for children — not child term riders, which you typically attach to an existing policy. To refine the list, we assessed age eligibility, coverage amounts available, and the ease of getting a quote and purchasing a policy. We also looked at additional features, like the ability to top up the policy when the child grows up and reaches major milestones such as marriage or parenthood.
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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 September 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.
Available to children from 0 to 17 years old. | ||
Available to children from 14 days to 17 years old. | ||
Available to children 14 days to 17 years old. | ||
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 payment structures: American Family
Best for flexible payment options
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.
- Offers a variety of term and whole life options.
Cons
- Not available in all states.
Overview: Along with its high coverage levels, American Family Life Insurance Company — also known as AmFam — stands out for its flexible payment options that allow you to pay off the policy sooner. You can choose a 10-year or 20-year payment plan, with the latter having more affordable life insurance rates. Regardless of which plan you pick, the premiums are locked in.
The policy has a built-in guaranteed purchase option benefit rider, which lets you increase the coverage at certain ages when the child experiences 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.
- AmFam child policy details
Policy name: DreamSecure Children’s Whole Life.
Policy type: Whole life insurance.
Coverage amount: $25,000, $50,000 or $75,000.
Read the full review: American Family insurance review
Best for boosting coverage over time: Mutual of Omaha
Best for boosting coverage over time
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
- Whole life insurance available without a medical exam.
- 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.
- No online quotes for term life insurance.
Overview: Mutual of Omaha’s policy offers simplified life insurance underwriting, which means you only have to answer three health questions about the child or grandchild you’re hoping to cover. The maximum coverage amount is relatively high at $50,000, and 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, 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.
If the policy owner dies two years (or more) after taking out the policy, Mutual of Omaha will waive premiums and the cost of other life insurance riders for 90 days.
- Mutual of Omaha child policy details
Policy name: Children’s Whole Life Insurance.
Policy type: Whole life insurance.
Coverage amount: $5,000 to $50,000.
Read the full review: Mutual of Omaha life insurance review
Best for policy options: Aflac
Best for policy options
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
- Policies available directly from Aflac or through many workplaces.
Cons
- No online quote option or policy details on website.
- Coverage is not available in all states.
Overview: 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 an idea of cost and apply for coverage.
Like all permanent policies, the whole life option provides lifelong coverage — even if the child develops health conditions later in life. Aflac’s term life policy covers the child until their 25th birthday. At that stage, the young adult can convert the existing coverage to a whole life policy worth up to double the face amount without taking a medical exam.
- Aflac child policy details
Policy name: Juvenile Whole Life Insurance and Juvenile Term Life Insurance.
Policy type: Whole life insurance and term life insurance.
Coverage amount: $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000.
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.
- Offers no-exam life insurance for type 2 diabetics.
Cons
- No online application process.
- Accepts mail-in claims only.
Overview: 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, which helps to cover medical expenses you might incur as a result of natural disasters, like earthquakes and hurricanes. The insurer will also donate an additional 1% (up to $100,000) 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, and buying a policy for a child automatically enrolls them as a member. They’ll be able to 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.
- Foresters child policy details
Policy name: BrightFuture Children’s Whole Life.
Policy type: Whole life insurance.
Coverage amount: $5,000 to $75,000.
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.
Alternatives for the best life insurance 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.
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.
