30 Hours Free Childcare
30 Hours Free Childcare
By Elizabeth Cummings
15.03.2018
The 30 hours fee childcare is for working parents to access and extended funding amount to help toward the cost of childcare. We advise that you log onto the childcare choices website at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ to check your eligibility. The site seems easy enough to use however if you have any problem one of our helpful team at any of our sites:
Auntie Sue is the Manager at our Day Nursery Benchill, Wythenshawe
Auntie Jo is the Manager at our Day Nursery Chadderton, Oldham
At Kids Around the Clock we offer the 30 hours free childcare as flexibly as we can to accommodate your working needs, you can also top up your fees to attend all year round.
You should be eligible is you are:
- Working and living in England
- You and your partner must be earning on average at least £120 or 16 hours.
- Earn under £100,000 per year
- Have a child who is 3 or 4 years old
If you are eligible, 30 hours is available for 38 weeks of the year just like school terms, however Kids Around the Clock will allow you to ‘stretch’ your 30 hours entitlement over 50 weeks, which works out at around 22 hours per week for 50 weeks.
If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you’re unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.
Your child can start in their childcare place the term after they turn 3 years old and have received a valid 30 hours code, whichever is later. Term start dates are 1st September 1st January and 1st April.
You may get asked for further information as part of your application, so apply well ahead of the start date for each term.
To keep your 30 hours free childcare place, you need to check your details are up to date every 3 months. This is very important, Kids Around the Clock will remind you when your code is running out so that you can reapply.
The 30-hour Entitlement does not cover the cost of meals or consumables, Kids Around the Clock as for a small contribution to the cost of meals at just £10.00 per week, this is to be paid standing order on a Friday for the following week.
In addition to the 30 Hour Entitlement you may be able to join the government Tax-Free Childcare scheme. This is where you set up an account and pay your childcare fees into it, the government will then pay in an additional amount up to £2,000 per child, per year. This scheme is like a saving scheme and the more you put in the more you get out, the best thing is anyone can pay into your account so if you have grandparents who would like to help towards the cost of childcare they can pay into your account to on your behalf.
The cut off date for 30 Hours for the April term is the 31st March.