The UK government has announced significant changes to childcare funding which means more eligible working parents will now be entitled to childcare support. From April 2024, all eligible working parents can access 15 hours free childcare for 2 year olds and we’re pleased to announce that Stepping Stones will be offering funded places for working families.
Under the current offering, only families who have children who are 2 years old, and receive some form of benefits (or meet other certain eligible criteria) are entitled to 15 hours of childcare support. Some working families are still eligible for 15 hours free childcare, but only if their child is aged between 3-4 years old. This expansion of childcare support means even more families across England have access to this vital funding, keeping more parents in work.
Just like the existing support, you can use your 15 hours free childcare for 2 year olds over 38 weeks throughout the year, or you can spread the funding over 52 weeks of the year. You can contact us today to discuss your options at Stepping Stones in more detail.
The UK government will be expanding the new childcare support in phases to ensure providers can meet the needs of more families across England. Ultimately, from September 2025, all eligible working families with children aged 9 months and over will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare funding per week.
We understand you might have questions about who is eligible for free childcare for 2 year olds in 2024 and how you can apply for this support. Below we answer those questions to give you a better understanding.
To be eligible for 15 hours free childcare for 2 year olds, it’s all about how much you earn, not the number of hours you work. The criteria applies to parents or carers in dual-parent households and single parents or carers in lone-parent households. To be eligible, each parent must:
If you are an apprentice, you will also be eligible if you earn the equivalent of 16 hours on the apprentice minimum wage. As well as, self-employed workers and zero-hour contract workers will also be eligible if you expect to meet the average earning criteria over the next three months.
You can check online to see if you’re eligible for the new childcare support.
Working families can apply for the new childcare support via an online form on gov.co.uk. You will need to provide the following information to complete the form:
If you are eligible, you’ll be given an 11-digit code that you will need to provide to your childcare provider, like Stepping Stones, when applying for your child’s space. You will also need to provide your national insurance number and your child’s birth certificate.
We’ve been providing childcare for families for over two decades in our purpose-built facility which consists of well-equipped nursery rooms, playrooms and four outdoor spaces. Our fully-trained team takes a tailored approach to every child to ensure they can learn, express and grow. We also do not make any charges for consumables for any two year funding places with us.
Don’t miss out on claiming your 15 hours free childcare for 2 year olds at Stepping Stones. Complete the above online form to begin the process of applying for your child’s funded space in April today!
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for funded spaces in April 2024!
