2 Year Old Funding

Parents can check whether their child is eligible to receive 2-year funding via this link.

The system is simple to use and, at the end, you will be told if you are eligible or not. If you are eligible, you will be given a code and a letter will be sent out to you confirming the details. You will need to give us this code at preschool before we can claim funding on your behalf.

From April 2024, up to 15 hours per week will also be available to eligible working parents of 2 years olds and from September 2025, up to 30 hours per week will be available to all under 5s of working parents. To see if you are eligible please click here.

3 & 4 Year Old Funding

From the term after their third birthday all children are entitled to 15 hours free childcare per week over a minimum of 38 weeks per year. The minimum length of a session is two and a half hours in any one day.

Children must remain in the provision for a minimum of two weeks in order to be eligible for the funding. If you remove your child before the qualifying period you will be liable for all costs incurred.

You can start claiming from the term after your child’s third birthday. We will provide you with a declaration form which you must complete accurately each term and then we will make the claim on your behalf.

Birthday Falls Between	3 & 4 Year Old Funding Available
1st January & 31st March	April (Summer Term)
1st April & 31st August	September (Autumn Term)
1st September & 31st December	January (Spring Term)

You can share your entitlement between two providers (e.g. child minder and preschool), however the total funded hours cannot exceed 15. If you take more than 15 hours childcare per week you will be charged for these additional hours at our current hourly rate.

30 Hours Funding Initiative

Some eligible working parents however, are now entitled to up to 30 Hours Free Childcare – that’ s 1,140 hours a year!

The government rolled this scheme out in 2017 to support working families. It’s a great idea but it’s fair to say the system can be a little complicated, so it’s a good idea to get to grips with the facts to make sure you don’t miss out.

30 Hours Free Childcare Facts

You don’t have to take up the full 30 hours to receive the funding if you don’t want to For example, if you only want so take up 25 hours per week, this will still be funded by 30 hours scheme

You can split the offer between more than one childcare provider (but no more than two sites a day) If you do split the offer between providers, you’ll need to provide your eligibility code and information to each provider

In order to receive 30 hours free childcare, you’ll need to be able to answer ‘Yes’ to all of the following questions:

•  Is my child either 3 or 4-years old?
• Are both parents or carers in the household working OR am I a sole parent or carer who works?
• Does each parent/carer earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage?
• Does each parent/carer have an annual income of less than £100,000?
• Do I live in England?

You can also still receive 30 Hours Free Childcare if you’re:

• An apprentice
• A foster parent
• On paid sick leave
• On maternity, paternity or adoption leave
• On paid shared parental leave
• Are self-employed and have set up your business in the last year (even if you can’t prove that you meet the 16 hour earning requirement)
• Not currently working but are expecting to start work in the next 31 days

For more information on 30 hours funding, please click here.

Invoices

If funding is not available from DCC for your child, then we will invoice you on a half termly basis. These invoices can be paid either with cash or cheque (payable to DCC) or via the school payment system. We also accept payment from the following voucher schemes:

• Tax Free Childcare Vouchers
• Edenred
• Busy Bees
• Computershare

If you do belong to a different voucher scheme, please let us know and we can investigate setting up an account with them too.

We do appreciate prompt payment of the invoice and if you have any issues, please contact us as soon as possible.