Government Funded Childcare
Working parents who are eligible can now access 30 hours of subsidised childcare per week, for 38 weeks of the year, from the term after your child turns 9 months old to when they start school.
This childcare offer isn’t just about saving money – it also helps children build confidence, learn social skills, and prepare for school.
There is eligibility criteria to take advantage of funded hour and the government provide a useful checker here: Free Childcare for Working Parents: Check if you’re eligible – GOV.UK
If you are not eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare, your child may be eligible for 15 hours instead. All parents of children aged 3 to 4 in England can access a universal offer of 15 hours of government funded early education from the term after their child turns 3. It doesn’t matter how much you earn or how many hours you work.
Parents of 2-year-olds can also access 15 hours a week of funded early education if they receive additional forms of support. This includes support like being on Universal Credit and earning less than £15,400 a year, or if your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, or has been looked after by a local authority. Places are funded from the term after a child turns 2.
To apply for 30 hours government funded childcare, you can sign into your account here. You’ll need your Government Gateway user ID to log in
The funding covers up to 15 or 30 hours of early education and childcare a week for 38 weeks a year and we can stretch this funding over the year.
You can see our Fees here:
Tax Free Childcare (TFC)
You can also get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year). More Information is available here: Tax-Free Childcare – GOV.UK
If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider.