Parents Page

Getting help paying for your childcare

Childcare costs can put a strain on families' budgets, government support could help you with:

15 hours funded childcare for all families in England with 3 and 4 year olds for 38 weeks of the year. Or eligible families of 2 year olds with a FEET code.

30 hours funded childcare for eligible working parents in England with 2, 3 and 4 year olds for 38 weeks of the year.

Tax-Free childcare: Eligible working parents with children aged 11 or under can get up to £2000 per child each year towards their childcare costs, or up to £4000 for children with a disability aged 16 or under.

Universal Credit Childcare: Eligible working parents in the UK can claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs for children aged 0-16. Plus, eligible parents can access Universal Credit funds upfront, helping those who are staring a job or increasing work hours.

Funded Entitlements at Little Gems:

Currently available:

Universal Funded Entitlement for 3 & 4 year olds (15 hours)- All 3 & 4 year olds are entitled to up to 15 hours per week (up to 570 hours) for 38 weeks per year (term-time only). Little Gems will ask you to complete Surrey County Council's Funding documents and show your child's ID as proof of age and eligibility.

Extended Funded Entitlement for 3 & 4 year olds (30 hours)- Eligible working families will be entitled to an additional 15 hours. To claim the full 30 hours, both Parents must be working a minimum of 16 hours at national minimum wage but under £100,000 per year. To claim this entitlement you will be required to complete the same forms as for the 15 hours hours but you must also apply for an Eligibility code from HMRC and present this to Little Gems before starting.

Funded Entitlement for 2 year olds FEET (15 hours)- Eligible families will be able to get up to 15 hours per week (up to 570 hours) for 38 weeks per year (term time only)

Working families Entitlement for 2 year olds (15 hours) Eligible working families will be entitled to up to15 hours per week (up to 570 hours) for 38 weeks per year (term-time only) this will be rising to 30 hours from September 2025.

Working families Entitlement for 9 month + olds (15 hours) Eligible working families will be entitled to up to15 hours per week (up to 570 hours) for 38 weeks per year (term-time only) from September 2024. This will be rising to 30 hours from September 2025.

For all Funded spaces:

Eligibilty-

Before confirming a place at Little Gems or moving over to funding when your child reaches the required age. Little Gems will ask you to complete Surrey County Council's Funding documents and show your child's ID as proof of age and eligibility. We will also require an eligibility code form HMRC. We will not be able to offer a Funded space until your eligibility is confirmed. If you fall out of eligibility during our contract you will be expected to pay the settings' hourly rate for all of the hours your child attends.

Additional hours-

As the funded entitlements are only available for 38 weeks per year, and many children attend all year-round (51 weeks per year), any additional hours will be charged at our hourly rate as well as the other fees incurred during funded periods such as food etc.

To find out more information and to see what you are entitled to, go to

https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Little Gems Childcare