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Childcare Funding & Fees: HCC bills for childcare on an hourly basis. Funding Forms must be completed and returned to the reception office within the deadlines for your child to receive their funding. For advice speak to our reception team. |
Cost per hour |
How Can I use the hours? |
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3-year-old Universal Entitlement |
Eligibility All three-and-four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours childcare per week until they start a school reception class – regardless of earnings status or family circumstances. How to Apply •No code needed. •Complete the funding form and return to the reception office. •Children are eligible the term after they turn 3. |
FREE |
15 hours per week term time 38 weeks a year or 11.63 hours per week stretched to 49 weeks per year. |
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2-year-old funding for those eligible |
Eligibility Families are eligible where: •You are on a low income (see below) and in receipt of benefits or •Your child is looked after by the council or has left care through adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order (previously residence order) or •Your child receives Disability Living Allowance or has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Low-income criteria – parents need to meet one of the following: Receiving any of these benefits - •Income support, Income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance, Income-related ESA or •Receiving Universal Credit - if you and your partner have a combined income from work of less than £15,400 a year after tax; •Receiving the Guarantee elements of the State Pension Credit; •Receiving support under Part 6 of Immigration & Asylum Act 1999; •Receiving Child Tax Credit, and have annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC; •Receiving Working Tax Credit with a household income of less than £16,190 as assessed by HMRC; •Non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits (depends on earnings). How to Apply •Complete a funding form and we will check your eligibility. •Children are eligible the term after they turn 2. |
FREE |
15 hours per week term time 38 weeks a year or 11.63 hours per week stretched to 49 weeks per year. |
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Working Families Eligibility 9 months+ |
Working parents where: •Both parents (or sole parent in one parent family) are working* and earn on average at least the equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum wage** and less than £100,000 or • As above where one parent is working, and the second parent is not working but receiving an eligible carer benefit or is unable to work and receiving an eligible disability benefit. * Working includes parents who are on maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave and where a parent expects to be working (for instance starting a new job) **minimum wages rates vary for different age groups and change every April. How to Apply •You need to apply through the online childcare service at www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/eligibility-checker or call 0300 123 4097 •You will get a working families’ childcare code which you must give to your provider before the start of your child’s eligible term. •Children are eligible the term after they turn 9 months. • For working parent entitlements, you MUST reconfirm your eligibility (childcare code) every 3 months via the Government Gateway |
FREE |
30 hours per week term time 38 weeks a year or 23.26 hours per week stretched to 49 weeks per year. |
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Additional Unfunded hours |
Fixed Contract Over 2 years old |
£6 |
Term Time/Full Year Care as agreed |
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Fixed Contract Under 2 years old |
£6.50 |
Term Time/Full Year Care as agreed |
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Ad-Hoc Bookings |
£8 |
1 weeks’ notice to book or cancel. Emergency bookings will be handled individually for each case. |
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OVER 5’s Only |
Playscheme Holiday Club |
£3 (£15 per session) |
Full Session bookings only. Mon, Weds & Fri during School Holidays as advertised. |
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Tax Free Childcare |
HCC accepts Government Tax Free Childcare payments. Eligible working parents can get a £2 top-up for every £8 towards the cost of their childcare! •Set up an online childcare account for your child on GOV.UK. •Search for us through the online account using our name, town, or post code. •Deposit money into the account. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your childcare provider. You can get up to £500 every 3 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 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year). • Link your account through our Famly App (there is a handy guide to help parents with this) • Use the money to pay your childcare provider through your Famly app account. |
See additional unfunded hours. |
Tax Free payments can be used for contracted, ad-hoc bookings and playscheme bookings. |
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Meals/Snacks |
At HCC, we offer snacks three times a day, and we kindly ask families to provide packed lunches for their children. |
FREE |
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Consumables |
We kindly ask families to bring their own nappies, wipes, and sun cream. If these essential items are occasionally forgotten, don't worry—HCC will happily provide them at no extra cost. |
FREE |
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Additional Services i.e.. Trips or special events |
HCC may offer opportunities for children to partake in trips or special events, clearly outlining any associated costs. This way, families can make informed decisions about their child's participation. If it’s a regular attendance day, free funded provision will be available to ensure all children can receive their entitlement hours. (4 Training Days per year are already deducted from funding allowance) |
Ad-Hoc |
As contracted. |