DISABILITYVA program
Birth Defects Benefits: Spina Bifida
Monthly monetary allowance, health care, and vocational training for children of Vietnam and Korea veterans who have spina bifida caused by herbicide exposure during the veteran's service.
Available to children of veterans with qualifying herbicide exposure
Step-by-step guide
What VA looks for: spina bifida
- A parent's service in Vietnam, Thailand, or the Korean DMZThe child's biological mother or father served in Vietnam or its offshore waters, or at a U.S. or Royal Thai base in Thailand, between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. Or the parent served in a unit in or near the Korean DMZ between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971; VA checks the unit.
- A biological child, conceived after that service beganThe veteran is the child's biological parent, and the child was conceived after the parent first served there. An adoptive parent's service does not count.
- A diagnosis of spina bifidaAny form of spina bifida except spina bifida occulta. Records from the child's own doctors, or exam reports from a hospital or government facility, can show it.
Source: 38 CFR 3.814(c) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.3.C (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.814(d) (opens in new tab)
Which program fits the child?
- Spina bifida
For a child with spina bifida whose biological mother or father served in Vietnam or Thailand from January 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975, or in or near the Korean DMZ from September 1, 1967, to August 31, 1971, VA pays a monthly allowance and provides health care and job training. Any length of service there counts, and the parent's character of discharge does not matter. The child can be any age.
Source: 38 CFR 3.814(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.814(c) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.3.C (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0304 (opens in new tab)
- Other birth defects, when the mother served in Vietnam
For a child whose biological mother served in Vietnam from February 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975, VA pays a monthly allowance set by the level of disability and provides health care and job training for covered birth defects that cause a permanent physical or mental disability, such as cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, clubfoot, or hip dysplasia. Some conditions are left out, such as hereditary conditions, chromosomal disorders, and injuries at birth. The child was conceived after the mother first entered Vietnam, and health care covers the birth defect and related conditions only.
- The mother's service in VietnamThe child's biological mother served in Vietnam between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and the child was conceived after she first entered Vietnam.
- A covered birth defect with a lasting disabilityA birth defect VA covers that has caused, or may cause, a permanent physical or mental disability. VA does not pay for a defect that evidence shows came from another cause, such as a family history of the condition.
Source: 38 CFR 3.815(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.815(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.815(d) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for children of women Vietnam veterans (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.3.C (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0304 (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The child's birth certificate The child's birth certificate, with the parents' names and the date of birth. | Who the child's parents are, and the birth date VA uses to place the date of conception | Send a copy to VA with VA Form 21-0304. A written statement alone is not enough here. If the birth certificate does not name the veteran parent, VA asks for other records that show the parent. | Yes |
| The parent's service records The veteran parent's DD214, orders, or personnel records that show service in Vietnam, Thailand, or the Korean DMZ, with dates and units. | The parent's service there, and its dates | Send copies you have to VA. VA checks the service and can request the records it needs. The parent can request records through eVetRecs or SF180, and next of kin, including a child, can request them if the parent has died. | Yes |
| Medical records of the diagnosis Records from the child's doctors or hospitals that show the diagnosis and how it affects the child. | The diagnosis, and how much it limits the child | Send copies to VA with the application. If they are missing, VA writes to ask for them and includes VA Form 21-4142 and VA Form 21-4142a so VA can request them from each provider. VA can rate from these records or schedule its own exam. | |
| Application for the child VA Form 21-0304. It asks about the child, both biological parents and any service in Vietnam, Thailand, or Korea, and each condition claimed. | The parent's service dates and the conditions claimed | An adult child, a parent, or a guardian signs it. Mail it to the address on the form, bring it to a VA regional office, or file it with an accredited representative. |
Records and statements go to VA. BeneVets never asks you to upload or type them here.
Steps, in order
- Match the child to a program
Spina bifida is covered for a child of a Vietnam, Thailand, or Korean DMZ veteran, mother or father. Other covered birth defects are covered only when the biological mother served in Vietnam. Both use the same application.
Source: VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for children of women Vietnam veterans (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.815(a) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.3.C (opens in new tab)
- Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab)
- Gather three records
Get a copy of the child's birth certificate, the parent's service records that show the service and its dates, and medical records with the diagnosis.
Source: VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for children of women Vietnam veterans (opens in new tab)
- Apply with VA Form 21-0304
Mail the form and records to the address on the form, bring them to a VA regional office, or file with an accredited representative. VA's form also asks for direct deposit details for the payments.
Source: VA Form 21-0304 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for children of women Vietnam veterans (opens in new tab)
- Use the health care program
Health care comes with these benefits, so apply for the benefits first. The programs have no provider network: use a licensed provider who accepts the program as payment in full. Some care, such as dental care, needs VA approval before you get it.
Source: VA.gov: care for spina bifida and other birth defects (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.901 (opens in new tab)
- Report changes in the child's condition
For spina bifida, VA rechecks the payment level when medical evidence shows a change, and at least every 5 years between ages 1 and 21. An increase can start from the date the condition got worse if you ask within 1 year of that date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.814(d) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.814(e) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.815(i) (opens in new tab)
Good to know
VA sets the monthly payment by how much the condition limits the child: three levels for spina bifida, and Level 0 through Level IV for other covered birth defects. For spina bifida, VA pays Level I until medical records support a higher level. Level 0 means no current disability and no payment, but health care and job training can still apply. A child gets one monthly allowance even if both parents served. With spina bifida and another covered birth defect, VA pays under the birth defect levels, at no less than the spina bifida amount.
Source: 38 CFR 3.814(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.814(d) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.815(e) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: birth defect compensation rates (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.3.A (opens in new tab)
The Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program covers needed care for any health condition. For other birth defects, the Children of Women Vietnam Veterans program covers only the birth defect and related conditions. Neither has copays or deductibles for covered care, and some care, such as dental care, needs VA approval first. Job training through Veteran Readiness and Employment can be used between ages 14 and 31.
Source: 38 CFR 17.901 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: care for spina bifida and other birth defects (opens in new tab); VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.3.A (opens in new tab)
These payments do not reduce other VA benefits for the child or the family. The child can still be a dependent on the veteran's compensation, and a child who gets DIC can get these too. One limit: during job training under these benefits, the child cannot also use Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35).
Source: 38 CFR 3.814(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.815(b) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VIII.i.3.A (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 1, 2026: 38 CFR 3.814(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.814(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.814(d) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.814(e) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.815(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.815(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.815(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.815(d) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.815(e) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.815(i) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.901 (opens in new tab), M21-1 VIII.i.3.A (opens in new tab), M21-1 VIII.i.3.C (opens in new tab), VA.gov: benefits for spina bifida linked to Agent Orange (opens in new tab), VA.gov: benefits for children of women Vietnam veterans (opens in new tab), VA.gov: care for spina bifida and other birth defects (opens in new tab), VA.gov: birth defect compensation rates (opens in new tab), VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-0304 (opens in new tab), Standard Form 180 (SF180) (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4142 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4142a (opens in new tab)