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Childcare and Early Education Costs
Childcare and Early Education Costs
There are various forms of financial help available to help parents meet their childcare and Early Education costs.
Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
Tax credits are payments from the government. If you're responsible for at least one child or young person who normally lives with you, you may qualify for Child Tax Credit. You don’t have to be working to claim Child Tax Credit. If you work, but earn low wages, you may qualify for Working Tax Credit. You can often get both types of tax credits. They aren’t taxable.
For more information on Tax Credits, please see document at the bottom of this page
Early Education Funding
All children are entitled to a funded part time Early Education place of 15 hours per week from the term following their 3rd birthday. Early Education is provided in a variety of childcare settings; independent or private nursery class or school, day nurseries and pre-school playgroup's.
- If your child has their third birthday between 1 September and 31 December, they are eligible for funding in the spring term (January).
- If your child has their third birthday between 1 January and 31 March, they are entitled to funding from the summer term (April)
- If your child has their third birthday between 1 April and 31 August, they are entitled to funding from the autumn term (September).
To claim this funding the nursery or group has to be included on the "Directory of Providers" as agreed by the Royal Borough of Kingston Local Authority. This means that the group has been approved to provide Early Education according to Early Learning Goals developed by the DfE (Department for Education).
2 Ten Project
From September 2010 - March 2011 the Local Authority have been allocated 50 places for two year olds offering up to 10 hours a week of early learning and care in fourteen childcare settings across the borough. As with the Early Education funding, funding begins the term after the childs 2nd birthday.
There is a referral pathway in place and criteria to be met. To be considered, you must have a referral by a professional. This is not a universal service, and therefore not applicable to everyone. For further details regarding this pilot scheme, please contact
Maxine Baum Childcare Access Officer on 020 8547 6581
or email maxine.baum@rbk.kingston.gov.uk
Childcare Vouchers
Childcare Vouchers are one of the ways in which employers can assist their employees with the costs of childcare. The first £50 of childcare vouchers are exempt from National Insurance Contributions (NIC) for employees and employers so they can help you save money on your childcare costs. This amounts to a possible £243 per month, or £55 per week, per parent. Click below for further information.
New Deal for Lone Parents
If you are a single parent family, always speak to the lone parent advisors if you are thinking about going back to work or before signing up for a course.
Lone Parent Advisors are based at Jobcentre Plus, 3 Brook Street, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. Clients are seen by appointment only please contact 0845 604 3719 for more information
Help for Students
If you are a parent who wants to study or train, you may be able to get help paying for childcare while you study.
This can be from your college or university or via various schemes that can also help with the costs. Ask your student welfare advisor to tell you what your childcare options are and what your college or university does to help students who are parents.
Care to Learn
The young parent must be under 20 on the date their course or learning programme1 starts. Care to Learn funding will not cease when the young parent reaches their 20th birthday, but will continue to the end of the specific course or learning programme stated at registration. See document below for more information.
Finding out about childcare provided by your college or university. Some colleges and universities provide childcare schemes aimed at students.
Childcare Grant
If you're living and studying in England, you can apply for the Childcare Grant if you use childcare that is registered or approved with Ofsted or the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
The Childcare Grant could cover as much as 85 per cent of your childcare costs during term time and holidays. If you’re eligible, the amount you may get will depend on:
- ·your household income
- the cost of your childcare
- the number of children you have
These schemes you could choose from are:
Nurseries, Crèches, Out of school schemes, Holiday playschemes. See below for an application form