Funded early education and childcare for 3 and 4 year olds

How does it work?

The working family funding is designed to assist working families with the costs associated with early education and childcare for their little ones. The funding is intended to ensure that children receive a strong foundation for their development and prepare them for school. This funding covers a range of approved childcare providers, including nurseries, childminders, and pre-schools.

Some 3 and 4 year olds of working families qualify for an additional 570 hours of funding as well as receiving the 3 and 4 year old universal entitlement (570 hours). This results in a total of 1,140 hours, which equates to 30 hours funding over the academic year (38 weeks). However, the funding offers complete flexibility, allowing you to access the 1,140 hours over anything from 38 to 52 weeks. Different providers offer different options on how funded hours are distributed throughout the year. You do not have to take up the full entitlement of funded hours. You can split your funded offer between a maximum of two providers in one day.

Further details on looking for childcare.

Are you eligible?

To determine if you are eligible for the working family funding, consider the criteria. Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn the equivalent of at least National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average.

You can earn up to £100,000 adjusted net income per year and be eligible. If you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income over £100,000 in the current tax year, you will not be eligible.

To be eligible for free childcare, you (and your partner if you have one and they live with you) must have a National Insurance number.

The person who applies must also have at least one of the following:

• British or Irish citizenship.
• settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you’re waiting for a decision.
• permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this.

If eligible, you will be given an 11 digit eligibility code beginning with 50.

For more information and full criteria please go to the Government website and Best Start in Life website.

When to apply

Important to know

You have the freedom to use your child's 30 hours with up to 3 childcare providers (with a maximum of 2 providers on the same day). This enables you to mix and match providers based on your preferences, ensuring the best fit for your family's needs.

Keep in mind that the eligibility codes will need to be reconfirmed every 3 months. Stay informed about any renewal requirements to continue receiving support. You may also fall in and out of eligibility depending on if your working status changes. This means you may lose the funded hours. 

Please note: If a change of circumstance causes a family to lose their 3 and 4 Year old working family funding eligibility, children still remain eligible for the 15 hours of universal funding until they reach school Reception age.

How to apply

For working family funding, please apply via the gov.uk website using the apply now button. It shouldn't take long to apply. You may find out if you are eligible straight away, but it can take up to 7 days. We recommend that you allow plenty of time to apply before the termly deadline. Once your application has been approved, you will get an 11 digit eligibility code for funded childcare to give to your childcare provider.

Apply now for funding

Grace period

If a parent no longer meets the eligibility criteria for the working family funding, Bromley council can continue to fund the child’s place for a limited grace period. Please note that children should not start at a new early years setting during the grace period unless this is due to exceptional circumstances outside of the parent’s control. This would be confirmed by the Bromley Early Years Funding Team. (To check, email eychildcare@bromley.gov.uk).

Charges

Early years settings who accept funding should publish their admissions policy regarding their funded hours offer and optional additional charges, on their website. Bromley council also publishes these charges on the Bromley Council website. Optional additional charges are not mandatory, parents should be given an alternative option if they do not wish to pay these charges.

Moving between settings

In Bromley we ensure that funding follows the child. Therefore, if you decide to change early years settings, the setting that you are leaving must stop claiming funding for your child on their last day of attendance. This ensures that your funded hours are available for your new setting to use. We do always recommend that you give the setting as much notice as you can when intending to leave. Please also remember that any contracts/notice periods signed for private hours or consumables must be honoured.

Children in Foster Care

Children in foster care may be eligible for the Working Family Funding where foster parents meet the following eligibility criteria:

• The foster parent(s) are in paid work outside of their role as a foster parent and that this is agreed by the responsible local authority and consistent with the child’s care plan.
• There is no minimum income requirement but the maximum income requirement still applies.
• In 2 parent foster families, if one parent is in paid work and the other partner receives certain qualifying benefits.
• If one parent is not a foster parent then that partner must be in qualifying paid work and earn a minimum to the equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage, unless they are receiving certain qualifying benefits.

The responsible authority confirms eligibility, therefore if Bromley Council is the responsible authority for your foster child but you live elsewhere in the country, you must contact us to begin the process. Please ask your social worker to email eychildcare@bromley.gov.uk for an application form. Your social worker will need to countersign the application form and confirm that this is consistent with the child’s care plan.

You will be asked to submit the child’s proof of age along with evidence of income for example pay slips, job offer letter or evidence of self-employment for example a tax return.

We will issue you with a valid code once eligibility has been confirmed and we will contact you every 3 months onwards to re-confirm your eligibility.

Deferred Entry

The usual time for children to start in a reception class in a primary school is in the September after their fourth birthday. Parents/carers can defer the date their child is admitted to school but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age (the term following the child’s fifth birthday).

• Parents/carers should apply for a Reception school place in the Autumn Term of the academic year in which their child turns 4 years.
• In the April of that academic year, they will be allocated a school place.
• Parents/carers should then discuss with the school if they wish to defer entry to the following September.
• The school should provide a letter confirming that they have agreed to the deferment and will not be claiming funding for the child.
• The parent must officially decline the school place.
• The early years setting can then make a formal request to the Early Years Funding Team to claim funding for the school age child until the term in which they turn 5 years.
• The school’s letter should be sent into the Funding Team.
• The Funding Team will then confirm whether the early years setting is able to claim the funding for the child.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Bromley Early Years on 020 8466 3088 or email eychildcare@bromley.gov.uk.