Early Years Funding changes

All parents get up to 15 hours funded childcare per week for 3 and 4 year olds, from the term after their third birthday. You may get up to 30 hours funded childcare in total if you and your partner (if you have one) work full or part-time hours. Providers can charge non-compulsory additional charges. Government funding is meant to cover the delivery of early education and care only. This means that early years providers are allowed to charge for additional goods, services and activities.

Currently, if you are on certain benefits, you may be able to get 15 hours free childcare for your two year old for 38 weeks a year. However from April 2024, eligible working parents of all 2-year-olds can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week.

And, from September 2024, eligible working parents can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week for their children from the age of 9 months until they start school.

From September 2025, working parents of children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.

What will this mean to me?

At First Steps Nursery in Oakdale, Poole, as with our current universal offering for three year old’s, the funding only covers term time for 38 weeks, so for our all year round children, the funding received will be ‘stretched’ over the full year. This will mean that even if you claim the full 15 hours (September 24) or 30 hours (September 25) there will still be a monthly charge to cover the out of term hours.

As we have not been given the actual funding rates yet, we are unsure whether or not the amount of funding will cover everything or whether there will be a supplementary cost. As we receive more details from the government, we will share these with our customers.

As we expect the demand to increase for our under three spaces, we would advise securing your sessions now to avoid any disappointment.