Recent updates to the government’s budget aim to make childcare more accessible for more families, with increased support and various funding opportunities that help cover the costs of childcare.
These changes mean that within the next few years, more working parents with younger children will be eligible for additional hours of “free” childcare per week.
Find out how this funding will work and how it can be used to fund care at one of our nurseries in Devon.
How Will the Changes to Childcare Funding For 2-Year-Olds Work?
From April 2024, the existing support for 2-year-old children will be extended.
Currently, only parents of 2-year-olds who get certain other forms of government support may be eligible for 15 hours per week of government-funded “free” childcare. From April 2024, all working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to get access to 15 hours of childcare support.
Over the following year, the support will be extended further – by September 2025, working parents of any children from 9 months to 5 years old will be able to access 30 hours of government-funded childcare support.
Can I Access “Free” Childcare Funding?
Chances are, your family is eligible for some form of childcare funding to support the overall costs. There are several types of funding available; it can be a little confusing when trying to figure out what your family is eligible for.
You can use the government’s online childcare calculator to find out how much support you could get and to compare the different kinds of funding. Remember to bear the upcoming changes in mind.
Can I Access 15 Hours of “Free” Childcare?
To reiterate, starting from September 2024, any working family will be entitled to 15 hours of childcare support for children who are 9 months-2 years old.
These 15 hours a week can be used for 38 weeks of the year during term time. Depending on the provider, you may be able to use your hours over 52 weeks if you don’t use the full 15 hours every week. At Devon nurseries, we offer funding over 50 weeks, which equals 11 hours a week.
Using Funding Schemes With Tax-Free Childcare
You can use your allocation of “free” childcare hours with various other schemes, including tax credits, universal credit and tax-free childcare.
Tax-free childcare means you can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) from the government to help with childcare costs. When you pay £8 into an online childcare account, the government will pay £2 to be used to fund childcare from an approved provider.
Most working families in the UK are entitled to tax-free childcare. You can register for a childcare account on the government website.
Fees & Funding at Devon Nurseries
Our group of nurseries in Devon runs funded sessions, so we can do our best to support all parents. Please see our nursery fees for sessions with funding.
How Much Will Funded Childcare Cost Me?
The government provides the support for funded sessions, so any funded nursery sessions will not cost you. For the funded sessions, we will only charge for additional consumables like nappies and meals.
The government Childcare Choices website offers some great resources if you’re still unsure or would like to read more about the points we’ve covered here.
If you’re interested in securing a place at one of our nurseries in Devon, please get in touch and fill in an enquiry form.