Early Years Funding

Funding Made Simple

Saving You Money on

Childcare Costs

If you need help paying for childcare, or if you haven’t used a day nursery before, you might not be aware of the various funding options available to help reduce the cost of childcare for parents.

Here you’ll learn precisely what Early Years Funding is, what funding models are available, and what you’re entitled to.

What Early Years Funding is Available?

As a responsible childcare provider, we want families to have all of the information available to help with childcare costs. There are three childcare funding options available for families:

HOURS PER WEEK

for children aged 2+ years receiving additional support

Eligibility criteria for 2-year-olds can vary depending on which Local Authority (Local Council) your child’s nursery is situated in.

Below you’ll find out whether you are eligible depending on where your Tommies Childcare nursery is located:

Council / District

HOURS PER WEEK

for all children aged 3 & 4 years-old

No additional eligibility criteria are required for any 3 or 4-year-old to be eligible to receive 15 hours of funding. All children become eligible from the school term after they turn 3 years of age.

HOURS PER WEEK

for eligible children aged 9+ months

Please visit the Best Start in Life website to check if you’re eligible to claim 30 hours:

Please note, you will need personal information such as your National Insurance Number to check if you are eligible.

If you are eligible for any of the above funding entitlements, you can claim up to a maximum of 15 or 30 hours of funding per week over the academic terms (Spring, Summer, and Autumn).

Making the Most of Your Funding

Funding is designed to support families with childcare costs during the academic term dates, which cover 38 weeks per year. However, all of our nurseries are open for 51 weeks per year, which is why we ‘stretch’ your funding. What this means in practice is that your free childcare hours are spread across the whole calendar year, helping you to reduce your monthly childcare bill while giving you access to all-year-round care. If you need more hours than your funding provides, we can offer additional paid sessions to suit your needs.

A Guide to Funding

To find out exactly how you can use your funding entitlement at your Tommies Childcare nursery, you’ll find your nursery’s specific guide below. Our guide tells you exactly how much funding is available, all of the relevant criteria, and precisely what your monthly bill will look like with the funding applied.

Tax-Free Childcare and Additional Funding Options

Tax-Free Childcare for Working Parents

Tax-Free Childcare for Working Parents is a payment method you can use to pay your bill while saving up to £2,000 per year on your childcare costs. The scheme is available for eligible working parents who can get a £2 top-up for every £8 towards the cost of childcare.

To use Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll need to create an account for your child on the Government website and follow the instructions provided so that you can link your account with us. When you deposit money into the account, the Government will pay £2 for every £8 you put in. You can then send the funds to us from your account to cover the cost of your monthly bill.

Find out more and create your account:

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is additional funding provided to early years education settings, like Tommies, to support your child’s learning and development. It’s available to children aged 3 to 4 who are accessing funding and meet specific criteria. The funding is paid directly to us and is used to enhance your child’s early education. Parents do not need to apply separately for EYPP. Instead, eligibility is checked when you apply for funding. We’ll guide you through this part of the process when the time comes.

Disability Access Fund (DAF)

The Disability Access Fund (DAF) is a one-off annual payment made to us if your 3 or 4-year-old receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This funding helps us to make reasonable adjustments and support access to early years education for children with disabilities. If your child receives DLA, please inform us and provide evidence of their allowance so we can claim on their behalf.