The government offers funded childcare places to support families with the cost of early education. These funded hours are designed to give children access to early education and make childcare more affordable for parents. The funding is provided directly to childcare settings and is not a cash payment for families.
24U 15 hours (For Eligible 2 Year Olds)
Shropshire’s 24U funding provides 15 hours of funded childcare per week for eligible 2-year-olds, starting the term after their 2nd birthday. Children may qualify for 24U funding if their family meets the below eligibility criteria
- Are from low-income households
- Have parents/carers receiving certain benefits
- Are looked after, previously looked after or under special guardianship, adoption or residence order
- Have a Special Educational Need or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- Receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Shropshire council determines eligibility, and parents can check and apply directly through the local’s authority’s website.
Universal 15 hours (For All 3-4 Year Olds)
All children are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week, starting the term after their 3rd birthday. This is known as the universal entitlement and is available to every family, regardless of income.
Extended 30 hours (For Eligible Working Families)
This funding is available to working parents the term after their child turns 9 months old who meets the below governments eligibility criteria:
- Working at least 16 hours a week
- Employed or Self-employed
- Must earn less than £100,000 a year
Parents must apply for the extended hours through the governments Best Start in Life website and renew their code every 3 months to ensure their circumstances have not changed.
Best Start in Life – Best Start in Life
How funding works in our setting
At our setting, we offer funded hours on a stretched basis only. This means that instead of receiving 15 or 30 hours per week for weeks of the year (term time), families have their funding spread evenly across the full 51 weeks we are open. This stretched approach provides consistency for children and greater flexibility for families who require year-round childcare.
What this means in practice:
- 15 hours per week term time becomes approximately 11 funded hours per week all year round
- 30 hours per week term time becomes approximately 22 funded hours per week all year round.
Government funding covers the cost of early education provision only. It does not include meals, consumables or enhanced experiences. At our setting, these additional elements are included within our ‘Little Orges Bundle’, which ensures children receive freshly prepared meals, essential consumables and access to our enriched curriculum such as outdoor learning, cooking and gardening sessions.
We can offer your child more than their funded hours per week, if you need them. These additional hours are paid for and referred to as non-funded hours. The cost of these are outlined in our Nursery Fees section of our website.
We’re Here to Help
We understand that government funding can feel confusing and that’s why our team are always available to explain how your child’s funded hours apply, how they are allocated across your sessions and what you weekly fees would look like.