Childcare question

Poodlecrazy

Hi!

I have a quick question which I am sure someone will know the answer to!

My daughter is about to turn three and I know that she will be entitled to free nursery care for 12.5 hours a week from the term after she turns three.

She is in a day care nursery 2 days a week (10 hours a day) costing £24 a day (£2.40 an hour) and she is in a pre-school 3 days a week (6 hours a day) costing £13.20 a day (£2.20 an hour).

She is only in the pre-school during term time (approx 33 weeks) and the rest of the year she is full time in the day care nursery.

How do I go about claiming this childcare? Do I get 12.5 hours regardless, therfore it would be better for me to claim 12.5 out of the 20 hours that she goes every week to the nursery as this is the most expensive per hour? Or do they give you a nominal per hour and say that you can use it anywhere, if you happen to get childcare cheaper than the nominal you can have more hours? Where do you claim them from, or does the provider claim them?

Hope that makes sense!

Thanks for any help.

troll35

You get five free 2.5 hour sessions. The funding can be split between different establishments. The funding is currently for 33 weeks of the year (three 11 week terms) but this is due to go up to 35 weeks and then to 38 weeks over the next few years. So in essence your daycare costs should reduce to £18 per day and your preschool should reduce to £7.70 per day if you split it 2 sessions and 3 sessions respectively).
The childcare provider gets all the necessary forms from their local Early Years Education department which includes the parts you will have to sign. The funding goes directly to the provider.
You could split it so that 4 of the sessions are at the nursery (two mornings and 2 afternoons) and only one at the preschool but it wouldn't save that much money as the fees are fairly similar.

brummiebabe

You do need to notify both childcare providers though - otherwise both may automatically claim the full entitlement for your child - this could then lead to problems.

For me, I would ask the most expensive childcare provider to claim the full entiltlement. What I've also done is to ask my son's private nursery to work out the saving on a 52 week basis - rather than in school terms - then you know you're paying the same each week and that it won't go up during school holidays. Both nurseries I've used have been happy to do it!!

Poodlecrazy

Thanks

It's all become so much clearer! Good grief, now all I have to do is work out the tax credits!