Help with childcare costs
Contents
Funding for all 3 and 4-year-olds
All 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to up to 15 hours of funded early education a week for up to 38 weeks a year. As parents you have a choice of the type of childcare your child can attend to receive their early education entitlement.For example:
- private day nursery
- pre-school/playgroup or independent school
- some childminders
- school nursery
When your child access their funded place
Children are entitled to a maximum of 570 hours per funded year; your child’s funded year starts from the term after their third birthday. These hours can 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.
Children can receive an early education funded place from the start of the term following their third birthday.
Early education funded place
| Child born between | Can have a funded place from |
|---|
| 1 January to 31 March |
1 April (Summer) |
| 1 April to 31 August |
1 September (Autumn) |
| 1 September to 31 December |
1 January (Spring) |
Your child can continue to receive the funded hours until they start reception class at school. This will usually be the September following their fourth birthday.
Additional information:
- your child can receive a maximum of 10 hours a day
- the entitlement is available between 6am – 8pm, even if the childcare provider is open before or after this
- a child may attend a maximum of two sites in a single day
- a child may not change childcare provider during the term unless there are exceptional circumstances agreed by the Council
- early education funding is intended to deliver up to 15 hours a week of free, high quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours, or optional activities
- providers can charge for meals and snacks, consumables, and optional activities as part of the early education entitlement but parents must not have to pay as a condition of taking up their child’s early education place. Consumables may include personal care items such as wipes, nappies, sun cream, etc. Parents should not be charged for the resources necessary to deliver an early education place such as paper, paint and equipment
What to do next
1. Find a place for your child
As a parent/carer you can decide where you would like your child to go (subject to availability). For more information about what is available in your area, or help to find a place contact Cheshire East’s Family Information Service or go to our Choosing Childcare pages. You should contact the provider of your choice as soon as possible in case they have a waiting list for places.
2. Discuss the free entitlement with your setting
Each term you will be asked to sign a parental declaration, setting out agreed hours and patterns of attendance for the early education entitlement. The entitlement maybe split between a maximum of 2 providers. If you decide to access the early education entitlement at more than one setting, you will be required to complete a parental declaration form for both settings.
Early years pupil premium (EYPP)
The Early Years Pupil Premium is extra funding that your childcare provider can claim for eligible children accessing their free early education entitlement. The extra funding is to support children’s development, learning and care.
More information is available on our EYPP parent leaflet (PDF, 415KB).
Free school meals
Children can receive free school meals if they access their early education entitlement at a maintained school or academy. Free school meals cannot be received within the private, voluntary, or independent sector e.g., day nurseries or pre-schools etc. To receive a free school meal:
- your child must be a registered pupil of a maintained school and receiving education before and after the lunch break
You may be able to claim free school meals for your child may if you receive any of the following:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
Page last reviewed: 29 August 2024
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