You might be able to get funded childcare when your child is aged two to four.
The funding available for two-year-olds
Criteria specific to children with SEND
If your two-year-old has an EHCP or receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA) they will be eligible for two-year-old funding.
This means you can get up to 15 hours a week of funded childcare and education during term time, or fewer hours a week over more weeks of the year. Which is great if you work part-time!
You may be sent an invitation so you can apply. If you don’t receive an invitation and your child is receiving DLA or they have an EHCP, please don’t wait for one to arrive – go ahead and apply now.
If your child does not have an EHCP or receive DLA it is still worthwhile applying to see if you meet one of the other eligibility criteria.
Eligible children can access the two-year-old funding until they start to receive the three- and four-year-old funding (from the start of the funding period following their third birthday).
Find out more and apply for two-year-old funding
The funding available for three-and-four-year-olds
All three to four-year-old children are entitled to 570 hours of funded provision a year (15 hours a week during term-time or fewer hours a week over more weeks of the year). This is known as the universal entitlement. More information about funded care for three and four-year-olds.
There is an ‘extended entitlement’ that provides another 570 hours – on top of the universal entitlement – for eligible working families. This is often called 30 hours because it can be taken as 30 hours a week during term time. Some working parents may choose to ‘stretch’ this across the year and use fewer hours each week.
Find out more about how to apply for the extended entitlement
The universal and extended entitlement funding starts at the beginning of the funding period following your child’s third birthday and finishes at the end of the funding period before they start at school or at the end of the funding period in which they reach statutory school age if they are delaying or deferring entry to school.
Other help available
Tax-Free Childcare
You might be able to apply for Tax-Free Childcare for children aged 0-11. If your child has a disability, you may get it up until they are 17.
You can get up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare.
This goes up to £1,000 every three months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).
They are eligible for this if they:
- get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
- are certified as blind or severely sight-impaired
You cannot get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as claiming:
Use the childcare calculator to work out which type of support is best for you.
You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 30 hours of free childcare if you’re eligible for both.
Find out more about Tax-Free Childcare.
Tax credits
Tax credits have been replaced by Universal Credit for most people. Check if you can make a new claim for tax credits.
If you already claim tax credits, you can add an extra amount of Working Tax Credit to help cover the cost of childcare.
Universal Credit
GOV.UK – Universal Credit and childcare
Help while you study
GOV.UK – help with childcare while you study
Funding available to providers
The following funding is available to help providers meet your two, three, or four-year-old child’s needs.
Universal inclusion funding
This is an extra 4p that is added to the amount paid for each hour the childcare provider claims for three and four-year-olds. This funding is given to support inclusion for all children.
Individual inclusion funding
This funding is to support individual two, three and four-year-olds who get SEN support. It must be used to enhance provision and intervention that will impact the child’s progress and outcomes.
The support may take the form of training, physical or sensory adaptations, small group or targeted interventions, or additional adult time to enable the child to learn. There are three levels of funding that correspond to the different needs of children.
Funding is allocated to children who have met the criteria; the amount given is proportionate to the funded time that is claimed and the level of need that has been determined.
Disability access funding for three and four-year-olds
If your three or four-year-old is accessing their early years funding and is in receipt of DLA their childcare provider can apply for additional funding of up to £800 a year to help with their education and support. Please note that this funding can only be paid to one childcare provider per year.
Ask your provider to give you a form to complete so they can claim the funding for your child.