Some 3 and 4 year-olds are eligible to receive extra funding for their nursery or pre school.
Eligible children
To be eligible children must already be receiving free childcare for 3 and 4 year-olds at a nursery or pre school.
You must also be receiving one of the following:
- Income support
- Income based jobseeker's allowance
- Income related employment and support allowance
- Support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit. This only applies if you're not entitled to Working tax credit and your annual income is less than £16,190
- Working tax credit run on - this is paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Your child will also be eligible if they have:
- Been looked after by the local authority for 1 day or more
- Been adopted
- Left care under a special guardianship or residence order
How do I apply?
- Your childcare provider will give you an application form to complete
- The information in the form will be sent to us
- If you're eligible the additional funding will be sent straight to your childcare provider
How can the funding be used?
The childcare provider how the funding can be used. It can be used to pay for:
- Trips and visits
- Extra members of staff
The funding can't be used to reduce any costs you pay to the provider for additional services.
Making sure children are benefiting
The childcare provider will share with you how your child is benefiting from the funding.
Ofsted will ask the childcare provider for evidence on how funding has made a difference to all the children who have received it.
We will also visit your provider to support the delivery of the funding.
Find out more
If you would like to find out more please contact your childcare provider.
You can also contact the Early Years Childcare and Play Team by: