Funded childcare and education for 2 to 4 Year olds

Early Years Funding 

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England can get 570 hours of funded early education or childcare per year. It’s usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.

Some 2-year-olds are also eligible.

You can get funded education and childcare for children in Scotland, Walesand Northern Ireland.

3 & 4 year funding 

When you can start claiming

The date you can start claiming depends on your child’s birthday.

Child’s birthday:                      When you can claim:

1 January to 31 March              The beginning of term on or after 1 April

1 April to 31 August                 The beginning of term on or after 1 September

1 September to 31 December    The beginning of term on or after 1 January

For example - Your child was born on 15 February 2015. You can get funded childcare when the next term starts after 1 April 2018.

Eligibility

The funded early education and childcare must be with an approved childcare provider.

It stops once your child starts reception class in a state school.

Eligibility for 2-year-olds

Your 2-year-old can get funded early education and childcare if you get one of the following:

• • income support
  • income based Job Seekers Allowance
  • income related Employment Support Allowance
  • support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • the guarantee element of Pension Credit
  • child tax credit - provided annual income assessed by HMRC does not exceed £16,190
  • working tax credit - provided annual income assessment by HMRC does not exceed £16,190
  • working tax credit “run-on” – the payment someone may receive for a further 4 weeks after they stop qualifying for working tax credit.
  • Universal Credit - if you (and your partner, if applicable) are on a low income from work this usually means a combined income of less than £15,400 a year after tax. 

A child can also get funded early education and childcare if any of the following apply:

• they are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (please provide a recent copy of the letter showing the benefit to support the application);
• they have left care through special guardianship, adoption or child arrangement order; 
• they are a child of Zambrano carers;
• the family has no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private/family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights;
• they are a subset of failed asylum seekers (supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999).
• Children who have a current statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) or an Education, Health and Care Plan;
• Children looked after by the local authority.

APPLY HERE