The government offer a variety of funding options for Early years children to be able to access in Ofsted registered providers. The type of funding will depend on the child’s age and your families circumstances.

The three main childcare programmes that are available are:

1.       Government support childcare

You may be able to receive 15 hours per week once your child turns 2 years old, depending on your family circumstances. You must receive a form of government benefits.

2.       Universal childcare

This is 15 hours per week for every 3 & 4 year old, starting the term after they turn 3 until they reach compulsory age for school.

3.       Working family funding

This offer 30 hours per week from 9 months to compulsory school age, for those who meet the working hours criteria. This must be applied for before the end of term of the term before your child starts.

For more information and to check your eligibility please go to https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/

All funding for childcare is only available term time (38 weeks per year in total), as we have 4 nursery sites we have different opening weeks so we can offer the best options for you to be able to manage with any fee’s.

Our Clacton and Kirby site are term time only so your child can attend for the 15 or 30 hours funding and not pay any top up fee’s. You would only incur a fee if you went over the hours funded if you choose to attend more sessions. These will be charge at an hourly rate depending on the age of the child (please see the fee’s document to find out the hourly cost)

Our Holland (45 weeks) and Holland park site (45 or 48 weeks) are open for more weeks per year with both of these settings we can still accept the 15 or 30 hour funding but we will stretch it out over the non-funding weeks per term. This would mean you will receive less hours per week funded to cover the other weeks in that term.

Please see attached document for examples of each terms funding amount and how that is stretched depending on the weeks open this can change from year to year depending on the opening weeks

Fee’s

Due to claiming our funding hours termly, we invoicing termly, in line with this.

 You will receive an invoice prior to the beginning of the term containing the following information:

·       Your child’s sessions for the term

·       Funding hours total for the term

·       Any hours above the funded entitlement

·       Snack fee (should you not wish to opt out of this)

 The payments for the term will be on the first of the month and can be divided up over the term in equal payments to ensure you meet the total amount.

At the bottom of your invoice will be all the payment dates for that term for you to refer to. 

If you do not want to pay any top up fee’s and go over your eligible hours do speak to the manager of the nursery who can chat to you about sessions.

Our hourly rate for the children was last reviewed for April 2025, this is something we look at reviewing annually.

On your invoice will be a “snack fee” this is 50P a session (half a day) so £1 for a full day. This will cover your child’s snack of fresh fruit in the AM or PM session, and any other celebration food ie graduation, Christmas and events throughout the year.

If you do not want to pay the 50p per session then you can speak to the manager to opt out of this but we will ask you to supply your own (this must be fruit only)

We do understand that funding and fees are very complicated and if you are in doubt, please do speak to the nursery manager who can help you.