No he does not have to claim it as income. You are allowed to give $14,000 as gift each year to your child without them paying taxes on it. Please see excerpt below, taken from IRS Frequently
asked Questions on gift tax. You can also select the link to learn more about Gift Taxes and the IRS.
How many annual exclusions are available?
The annual exclusion applies to gifts to each donee. In other
words, if you give each of your children $11,000 in 2002-2005, $12,000
in 2006-2008, $13,000 in 2009-2012 and $14,000 on or after January 1,
2013, the annual exclusion applies to each gift. The annual exclusion
for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 is $14,000.
