Funding - Astwood Smiles

Day Nursery Redditch

Childcare Fees & Funding at Astwood Smiles Nursery and Pre-School

We understand that choosing the right childcare can be a significant decision for families, both emotionally and financially. That’s why we’re here to help you navigate the available government childcare funding options, ensuring your child gets the best start in life without the added stress of financial burdens.

We’re committed to helping you make the most of the childcare funding benefits, allowing your child to thrive in a nurturing and stimulating environment.

Key Funding Options Available

30 Hours Funded Childcare (for 9 months)

Open for eligible working parents whose children will be aged at least 9-months-old on or before 31 August, can receive 15 hours childcare the term after they become eligible. For example, if your child turns 9 months old in August 2024 their funding will commence in September 2024. If your child turns 9 months old in October 2024, their funding will commence from January 2025.

15 Hours Funded Childcare (for 2-Year-Olds)

Eligible families can receive up to 15 hours of funded childcare per week for their two-year-old children. This funding is available to families receiving certain benefits or those with specific circumstances. It’s a fantastic way to introduce your child to the nursery environment, helping them develop essential social and learning skills early on.

15 Hours Funded Childcare (for 3 and 4-Year-Olds)

All children in England aged 3 and 4 are entitled to 15 hours of funded early education or childcare per week, providing a solid foundation for your child’s development before they start school.

30 Hours Funded Childcare

For working parents, the government offers an extended 30 hours of funded childcare per week for 3 and 4-year-olds. This additional funding helps families manage work commitments while ensuring their children receive high-quality care and education. To be eligible, both parents must meet certain employment criteria.

Tax-Free Childcare

The Tax-Free Childcare scheme is designed to help working parents cover childcare costs. The government provides up to £2,000 per year per child (or £4,000 for children with disabilities). For every £8 you pay into your childcare account, the government adds an extra £2, making it a highly efficient way to manage childcare expenses.

Childcare Vouchers

Although closed to new entrants, existing members of the Childcare Voucher scheme can continue to benefit from it. This salary sacrifice scheme allows parents to save on National Insurance and tax, making childcare more affordable.

How can Astwood Smiles Nursery and Pre-School Help?

At Astwood Smiles Nursery, we believe in making high-quality childcare accessible to everyone. Our experienced team is here to assist you in understanding and accessing the government funding options available to your family. We’ll guide you through the eligibility criteria and application process, ensuring you can focus on what matters most – your child’s happiness and development.

Our nursery provides a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where children can learn, play, and grow. We tailor our activities to meet the individual needs of each child, fostering their creativity and confidence. With government funding, more families can take advantage of the exceptional care and education we offer at Astwood Smiles.

Important Information

The Government funding is based on 38 weeks childcare (Term Time), however as we are open 51 weeks of the year, we stretch this funding to accommodate. For example, if you are eligible for 30 hours funded childcare, stretching will mean you receive 22 hours of funding over 51 weeks if taken over 3 days.

As a nursery, we can only apply for funding at certain points within the year so we advise that you apply for your eligible funding code before securing a space with us as we cannot guarantee funding will be applied before your start date. It is important that you re-apply for your code every 3 months to remain eligible for funding. Your child can attend a childcare setting in another local authority however you will need to apply for two-year-old funding with that local authority directly. Our nursery is based with Worcestershire County Council so funding will need to be applied through Worcestershire local authority directly.

If your child attends two registered settings, you must complete a Parent Declaration Form for both settings, which must contain accurate information about the number of hours your child attends at each.

Useful Links

If you have any questions about government childcare funding or would like to learn more about Astwood Smiles Nursery, please fill out the enquiry form below.