Parents at our nurseries have access to various government-supported schemes to help with childcare costs:

Funding

If you live and work in England you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns 9 months old up until they start school, but there are many other schemes to help with nursery costs.

Childcare for Eligible Working Families in England

For children aged 9 months to 4 years.

From September 2025, 15 hours for eligible working families will expand to 30 hours, meaning eligible working parents can now apply for 30 hours of childcare from the term after their child turns 9 months, until they start school.

If you currently receive 15 hours for working families, just reconfirm as usual and the code will work for the 30 hours offer in September, providing you remain eligible and your provider has confirmed your new attendance pattern for your increased hours.

Universal Offer

If you are not eligible for the working parent offer you will still receive the 15 hour entitlement for all 3 and 4 year olds from the term after your child turns 3 until they start school, irrespective of your income level, benefit status, or family circumstances.

If at any point, you start work after your child has turned the relevant age, meaning you meet the income threshold for 30 hours childcare, you will need to apply.

Funded Early Learning

If you or your child receive some additional forms of support, you may be eligible for 15 hours early learning for 2-year-olds under a separate scheme, and you should speak to your local council and/or provider in the first instance. If you are eligible, you should still apply for the working parent entitlement, but you will receive 15 hours from each scheme (up to a maximum of 30 hours in total).

How to Apply

Please visit the Childcare Choices website and enter the relevant information. You will be able to see which schemes are available to you and your child and how to apply for these.

Other helpful schemes:

Tax-Free Childcare

Tax-Free Childcare is a scheme where the government contributes £2 for every £8 a parent pays into a special childcare account, up to £2,000 per year per child (£4,000 for disabled children). This is available for working parents with children under 12 (or 17 if the child has a disability) who meet income criteria, including earning at least the National Minimum Wage for 16 hours a week and earning less than £100,000 annually. The funds can be used for Ofsted-registered providers, such as our nurseries.

You can find more information on the Tax-Free Childcare scheme here.

Universal Credit Childcare

For families receiving Universal Credit, up to 85% of childcare costs can be reclaimed. This support can significantly reduce the financial burden of childcare for low-income households. You can find more information here.