Funding Options
At Little Treasures Day Nursery & Pre-school, we prioritize the well-being and development of our children and their families. As a small, independent nursery, we place our little ones and their parents at the center of everything we do and we take pride in offering a range of childcare schemes funded by the UK Government. These schemes are designed to alleviate the financial burden on families, ensuring that high-quality early childhood education and care are accessible to all.
Tax-Free Childcare
Tax-Free Childcare is a UK Government initiative designed to help working parents with the cost of childcare.
For every 80p you (or someone else) pay in, the government will top up an extra 20p. This is equivalent of the tax most people pay - 20% - which is how the scheme got its name.
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Applying for free childcare if you’re working
What do we mean when you say free childcare is for ‘working’ parents?
Working parents who individually earn more than £8,670 but less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year are eligible. For couples, the rules apply to both parents, so both must earn at least £8,670 and neither can earn more than £100,000 individually or as a joint income.
There is more information about the exact criteria on the childcare choices website which you can find by following this link: Homepage | Childcare Choices .
15 Hours Funded Childcare
In England, the government offer funded 15 hours free early education schemes that offer childcare for children aged 9 months upwards funded hours for 38 weeks of the year. To find out how it works, please see below.
15 hours funded childcare for 2-year-olds
Your 2-year-old is eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare per week 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)
Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act - NASS support
They are looked after by a local authority
They have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
They get Disability Living Allowance
They have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
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15 Hours Funded Childcare for 3- and 4-Year Olds (Universal Offer)
Every single child aged three and four, who lives in England, is entitled to 15 hours funded childcare per week (which begins the term after their third birthday) for 38 weeks of the school year (during term time). This comes to a total of 570 hours.
How Can I Apply for 15 Hours Funded Childcare?
All you need to do to receive these funded hours is contact us, share proof of your child's age (their birth certificate) and fill out a declaration form. We will then apply on your behalf.
30 Hours Free Childcare
At Little Treasures Day Nursery & Pre-school we are pleased to offer 30 hours funded childcare for all eligible families. If their parents are living and working in England, 3- and 4-year-olds may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare, which is up to 1,140 hours per school year in total.
Your 3- and 4-year-old may be eligible if:
The parent (and their partner where applicable) is seeking the free childcare to enable them to work. Parents must earn or expect to earn the equivalent to 16 hours at National Minimum or Living Wage over the coming three months. Where a parent is in a ‘start-up period’ (i.e., they are newly self-employed) they do not need to demonstrate that they meet the income criteria for 12 months.
Your child/children must be either 3 or 4 years old. You must apply for funding in the term prior to your child's 3rd birthday but the funding will not apply until the term after they turn 3.
This offer is for working families in England.
You cannot get 30 hours funded childcare if you, or your partner, expect to earn £100,000 or more.
To apply please visit the Childcare Choices website (www.childcarechoices.gov.uk) or download the Department for Education eligibility document. You will need to check your eligibility and apply for a code the term before you wish to use the Extended free funding hours. This code should be entered onto the Declaration form (which we will provide you with) and must be renewed every three months. If you have not applied for a code in the correct timeframe or it is not valid you will be unable to claim the Extended Funding. If eligible you will be entitled to access the 30 funded hours from the beginning of the term following your child’s 3rd birthday.
How it works
At Little Treasures Day Nursery & Pre-school, we want to make sure that families can utilise funding to its full potential. This is why we stretch the funding across 51 weeks of the Nursery year we are open.
Parents receiving the Universal 15 hours per week of funded childcare (or 570 hours in total) will have their funded hours stretched over 51 weeks of the year. This will be divided over the three terms. As there are a different number of weeks in each term this will result in a different amount of funding allocated depending on the term.. Where children are accessing the Universal entitlement only, the funded hours will be spread evenly across any two days that your child is with us.
Parents receiving both Universal and Extended funding (or 1140 hours in total) will have their funded hours stretched over 51 weeks of the year as above. Where children are accessing the Universal and Extended funded entitlement, the funded hours will be spread evenly across any three days that your child is with us.
For any further funding questions or enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us, where a member of the team will be happy to help you. We appreciate the funding can be somewhat confusing.