Childcare Funding
At Cherry Lodge Childcare, we understand that paying for childcare can be challenging. Did you know that government funding for working families has recently increased, providing additional support?
We’re proud to offer 15 and 30 hours of funded childcare to eligible families. The amount of funding you receive will depend on your child’s age and your family’s circumstances.
Working Parent Funding
If you or your partner earn at least £183 per week (the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage), you could be eligible for the following childcare support:
- Children aged 9 months to 4 years: Up to 30 funded hours per week.
If you or your partner are on maternity, paternity, or adoption leave, or are unable to work due to a disability or caring responsibilities, you may still qualify for this support.
Please note, families where either partner earns £100,000 or more (net annual income) will not be eligible.
Universal Funding
Families in England with eligible children aged 3-4 years can access 30 hours of funded childcare per week. This funding is available during term time (38 weeks), totaling 570 hours annually, which you can use flexibly across one or more childcare providers.
Eligibility
Your child’s eligibility for funded hours depends on their date of birth:
- Born between 1 January and 31 March: Eligible from the start of the term beginning or following 1 April.
- Born between 1 April and 31 August: Eligible from the start of the term beginning or following 1 September.
- Born between 1 September and 31 December: Eligible from the start of the term beginning or following 1 January.
This funding is available to all eligible families, so there’s no need to apply. The funded hours will automatically be applied to your invoice based on your booking pattern, provided you’ve completed your parent agreement (refer to the funding loop section).
If you wish to use only your funded hours without incurring additional charges, please notify your nursery well in advance. This ensures any necessary adjustments can be made to your booking.
Tax Free Childcare
The UK government offers a Tax-Free Childcare scheme to support working parents with childcare expenses. For every £8 you deposit into a dedicated online account, the government contributes an additional £2, up to £2,000 per child per school year. This could save you up to 20% on childcare costs and can be used alongside funded childcare hours.
Eligibility Criteria:
You may qualify for a Tax-Free Childcare account if:
- You and your partner are both employed and earning at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours per week.
- Neither of you earns more than £100,000 annually.
We accept payments directly from your Tax-Free Childcare account. To ensure we can allocate your payment correctly, please provide your child’s reference code to the nursery.
Start saving on your childcare costs today!
Government Supported Funding
If you live in England and receive government support, you may be eligible for the following childcare assistance:
- Up to 15 hours of funded term-time childcare for children aged 2 years.*
Government support includes programs such as Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Universal Credit, and Child Tax Credit. Additionally, families may qualify if the child receives Disability Living Allowance or is under local authority care.
Childcare Funding FAQs
We strongly recommend that parents avoid switching from stretched funding to term-time funding. However, if a change is necessary, we ask that it takes effect at the start of the next term rather than mid-term. In urgent cases where a mid-term change is unavoidable, please contact your nursery to discuss your options.
30-hour codes can only be used to access funding from the term following your application. If you miss the deadline (the last day of March, August, or December), you won’t be able to claim the additional 15 hours for that term, but you will still qualify for the universal 15 hours. While HMRC typically sends reminders before each term, Cherry Lodge Childcare also issues reminders. Please note that it is ultimately the parent’s responsibility to ensure they have a valid 30-hour code in time.
Changes to your child’s booking pattern can sometimes affect the number of funded hours you are eligible to claim due to government restrictions. To avoid complications, please speak with your nursery before finalising any changes to fully understand how this may impact your funding.
Yes, you can split your funding between up to two childcare providers on the same day. However, it’s essential to inform each provider to ensure that the correct amount of funding is claimed by each.
To learn more about help with childcare costs, visit www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/