FUNDING OPTIONS

Everything you need to know about childcare funding.

3-4 Year Old Funding

The term after your child turns 3, they will be eligible for funding. Please see details below.

Universal 15 Hour Funding

15 Hours of free childcare is available for all families in England with children aged 3 and 4. Your child can start in their childcare place the term after they turn 3 years old. Term start dates are 1st September and 1st April.

We will apply on your behalf, so all you will need to do is fill in a form with you and your child’s details to give us consent to claim these hours for you.

30 Hour Funding

For families with 3 and 4-year-old children.

You each need to earn at least £152 a week.

If you’re earning less than £152 a week but are under 25, or you’re an apprentice, you may still be eligible.

You may still be eligible if you and your partner will both be in paid work in the next 31 days.

Your child can start in their childcare place the term after they turn 3 years old and have received a valid 30 hours code, whichever is later. Term start dates are 1st September, 1stJanuary and 1st April.

You will need to apply for this yourself. We will then ask you to complete a funding form to give us consent to claim the hours on your behalf.

To keep your 30 hours free childcare place you need to check your details are up to date every 3 months.

Please view the step by step guide on how to use 30 hours free childcare

2 Year Old Funding

This encompasses 15 hour funding (shown above) and for those ineligible for funding, you may be able to use a Tax-Free Childcare account to save 20% of your fee costs.

2 Year Funding

To be able to take up 15 hours of free early education for your two-year-old you must meet the eligibility criteria.

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get any of the following benefits:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Other Eligibility

2-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:

are looked after by a local authority
have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
get Disability Living Allowance
have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

You will still have to pay for meals.

Other Funding Schemes

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

Your child’s early years education provider could get up to £342 per year to help with your child’s education. This will be paid direct to Playgroup and enables us to work 1:1 with your child on their specific learning needs.

You can apply for early years pupil premium if your child is aged 3 or 4 and you get 15 hours free childcare.

You must also get at least one of the following:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit – your household income must be less than £7,400 a year after tax not including any benefits you get

You may also get early years pupil premium if your child is currently being looked after by a local authority in England or Wales or if your child has left care in England or Wales through:

adoption
special guardianship order
a child arrangements order

DAF

Playgroup could get £800 or more per year to help with your child’s education and support.

You can apply to get disability access funding if your child is aged 3 or 4 and you’re receiving both:

15 hours free childcare – you do not need to use all of your hours to be eligible
Disability living allowance for children

Inclusion Funding

If your child needs support accessing the setting due to a learning or disability need, we could apply for inclusion funding on your behalf. This enables the setting to provide 1:1 support for your child for a set amount of hours per week.

To be eligible for this there needs to be a specific need, and you will need to be claiming funded hours.