15 hours free funding help please

kelise

Hi. Just wanted to know if Ur child already has to be a nursery to receive the free 15 hours. Week funding or if they can just start at the beginning of the term. If they can start am I also allowed to send him more than 15 hours even though he is only just starting. Thanks

PoorCharleyBear

we sent our child for 24 hours and the nursery gave us some paperwork to complete...they claimed for the 15 hours and we paid the balance. we also had to pay for non-term time,holidays and August (also non term time).

So the nursery does all the relevant stuff for claiming the 15 hours

iluvmarmite

Both my grand kids were not in a nursery when they got the 15 hours, they started at the beginning of term when the other school kids went back.

In their nursery they are allowed more than 15 hours wether its at the beginning, half way through or near the end of term, well any time their mum would like extra hours BUT the extra hours do have to be paid for. That's in our area though and could be different else where so best to check with the nursery to want them to go to.

kelise

Thanks both for your replies. Will give them a ring to check. Xx

johnsmiffy

Kelise hope this helps, I am a Chair of a Child Care setting and is relevant to our local authority which I think is the same for others.

Providing your child is eligible for funding (see below) then they do not already have to be attending a nursery to get the free 15 hours. Check with your nursery about how 'flexible' they are with child start dates - they may only allow new intake at the beginning of terms.

The only thing that could be a hindrance to starting during a term is the local authorities head-count cut-off date for funding during that term. If you wish to start after this date, then the setting will not be able to obtain the funding for a child until the 'estimated' head-count for the next term is submitted.

Funding will be available depending on if your child is entitled to the funding which is age dependant. This is 3 years old for most areas, but funding for 2 year olds is being rolled-out. In our local authority it is currently in selected areas only to start with.

Funding is available from specific dates after the child turns three, the dates are 1st January, 1st April and 1st September (a child born between 1st Jan & 31st March will be eligible for funding from 1st April, born between 1st April and 31st August will be eligible for funding from 1st September, born between 1st September and 31st December will be eligible from 1st January).

Most nurseries do allow children to attend in excess of their funded hours (it brings in extra revenue for them) with the parents having to pay the difference between the total cost less the funded hours.

A word of warning - some settings charge more than they receive in funding from the local authority, and 'add' this shortfall onto the charges for the extra non-funded hours. I have heard of this happening so it is always worth checking and doing the sums.

As I said I hope this helps, it sounds more complicated than it is.