FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions to help you navigate childcare funding
What is Funded Childcare?
Early Years Government Funded Childcare is money provided by central government to ensure that all eligible children have access to quality early years education. This eligibility is being updated in stages up to 2025 depending on the age of your child.
What is the current criteria? (October 2023 – April 2024)
How are parents eligible?
To be able to claim, you and any partner must each expect to earn (on average) at least £120 a week. 30 hours government funded childcare is not available if you, or your partner earn over £100,000 per year.
Where do I find out more?
Funding explained
Like schools, term time funding covers 38 weeks of the year, broken into 3 terms: Autumn, Spring, & Summer. The number of funded weeks varies per term. You can use the hours from January, April or September which ever one follows your child’s second birthday.
Receiving 15 hours of funding – the maths
Number of weeks per year 51 (52 weeks minus 1 week closure for Christmas & New Year)
Total number of hours = 570 (38 weeks of term time x 15 hours funding)
Stretched over 51 weeks (570 divided by 51) = 11.18 hours per week
Receiving 30 hours of funding – the maths
Number of weeks per year 51 (52 weeks minus 1 week closure for Christmas & New Year)
Total number of hours = 1140 (38 weeks of term time x 30 hours funding)
Stretched over 51 weeks (1140 divided by 51) = 22.35 hours per week
How do I apply for funding?
To receive the standard 570 hours, we will give you a declaration form to complete, and will submit this on your behalf to the local authority. To receive the additional 570 hours visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to register and apply. You will be given a code to submit to nursery for us to validate. This code is reconfirmed every 3 months, and remains the same unless your situation changes.
What are Additional Services?
Keep in mind that funded hours do not cover things like healthy snacks, home-cooked meals and exciting additional activities including trips out. You still have to pay an amount towards this. This amount is clearly shown on your invoice and explained at your funding meeting before you start. This amount is subject to price increases.
Increasing your hours
When entitlement becomes the full 30 hours, you may wish to increase your child’s nursery sessions. This is obviously a popular decision, but we don’t always have extra session spaces at very short notice. We strongly suggest you book your extra sessions well in advance of needing them, to secure a place and avoid disappointment.
