Payments to start from late February.
More than 77,000 Scottish Child Payment applications have been received since Social Security Scotland started taking applications on 9 November.
The new benefit, which is unique to Scotland, will give qualifying parents and carers £40 every four weeks for each child under six.
The benefit started yesterday, meaning that Social Security Scotland is now able to do final eligibility checks and start issuing decisions.
The first decisions and payments will arrive from later this month.
Payments for those who applied yesterday or earlier have been backdated. Parents and carers have not yet applied and have a child under six are encouraged to apply today to get the maximum amount of money they are entitled to.