Help with childcare costs

Contents

• Overview - Help with childcare costs
  
• Funding for working parents of 9 months to 4-year-olds
• Funding for all 3 and 4-year-olds
• Funding for 2-year-olds if you receive certain benefits
• Eligibility for 2-year-old immigration and asylum seekers

Funding for 2-year-olds if you receive certain benefits

Your 2-year-old may be eligible for free childcare at nurseries, pre-schools, or childminders. 

2-year-old funding offers eligible families up to 15 hours of early education and childcare a week for 38 weeks a year. You can find out if your child can access 2-year-old funding by checking the eligibility criteria below.

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

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit - if you and your partner have a combined income from work of £15,400 or less a year, after tax
• tax credits and you have an income of £16,190 or less a year, before tax
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
• the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

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

• are looked after by a local authority
• have a statement of special education needs (SEN) or 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 may have to pay for extra costs like meals, nappies, or trips. Ask your provider what extra costs you may have to pay for.

Check your eligibility - If you claim certain benefits 

To apply for the two-year-old entitlement for eligible working families go to the GOV.UK Childcare Choices website. 

If you’re a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits

Your 2-year-old may get free childcare if you are getting support under the Immigration and Asylum Act. See the eligibility for 2 year old immigration and asylum seekers for more information. 

When 2-year-olds can access their funded place

Eligible children can receive the early education entitlement from the start of the term following their second birthday.

How many hours you are entitled to

Eligible 2-year-olds are entitled to a maximum of 570 hours per funded year; your child’s funded year starts from the term after their second birthday. These hours will usually be offered as 15 hours each week in term time (38 weeks of the year) or up to 11 hours per week if taken over the whole year. This will depend on your preferred childcare providers' opening times and availability.

Free childcare providers

The funded childcare for 2-year-olds can only be taken at an Ofsted registered early years provider. Not all providers are registered to deliver funded childcare, please enquire at a setting of your choice to find out more.

How to arrange free childcare

After you have successfully completed your eligibility check, a unique reference number will be displayed on your screen and emailed to you.

You will need to give this code to the setting of your choice as proof of your eligibility for a 2-year-old funded place. 

Data protection and privacy notice

• Read our FEEE data protection statement (PDF, 127KB)

• You can find out more information about data protection in Cheshire East and the public sector guarantee on data handling.

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