Early Years Funding for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds

What is Early Years Funding?
The government provides funding for all 3 and 4-year-old children and some 2-year-olds to attend early years provision for 570 hours per year.
From September 2017, eligible 3 and 4-year olds will be entitled to 1140 hours per year (30 hours a week term time). Please see the Extended Entitlement webpage for more information.

Parents can check their eligibility through the Childcare Choices website.

2-year-olds

A 2-year-old can get funded childcare if the parent/carer gets one of the following:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit – if you and your partner have a combined income from work of less than £15,400 a year after tax
Tax credits and has an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Parents must check their eligibility for the entitlement to Early Years Funding for their 2-year-olds. Parents will need their National Insurance number, date of birth, name and child’s details. Eligibility can be checked online or by phone: 0345 155 1013.

A 2-year-old can also get funded childcare if any of the following apply

they’re looked after by a local council
they have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
they get Disability Living Allowance
they’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order

Parents and carers of children with additional needs, foster and adoptive parents should apply online and attach supporting evidence to their application.

The government has extended eligibility for the most disadvantaged two year old children to include three additional groups of children from September 2019.
The new groups of children to be entitled to a funded place are:

Children of Zambrano Carers;
Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private/family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights;
Children of a subset of failed asylum seekers (supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 – ‘the 1999 Act’)

The children of Zambrano Carers will be entitled if their parents meet similar low level income requirements to others eligible for the scheme (e.g. £15,400 net earnings threshold for families in receipt of Universal Credit). Similarly, we are extending the entitlement to children whose families have a right to be here on Article 8 grounds with no recourse to public funds and who meet the same criteria of economic disadvantage. We are also extending eligibility to children whose families receive support under section 4 of the 1999 Act because they are temporarily unable to leave the UK and would otherwise be destitute. As such, they satisfy the low income requirements to be eligible for the entitlement.

Parent and Carers of children that would fall in to one of the new categories should discuss applying for the two year old funding with the Early Years Entitlement Helpdesk on 01392 385530 or eyef@devon.gov.uk

Children are eligible to receive the Early Years Funding from the start of the term after their 2nd birthday for a maximum of three funding periods.

Parents/carers cannot apply before the start of the funding period in which the child’s second birthday occurs.

3 and 4-year-olds

All 3 and 4-year-olds are eligible for the Early Years Funding starting from the term after their third birthday until they start school (usually at statutory school age – the term following their fifth birthday).

When are children eligible?

Child’s birthday between:	2-year-old applications can be made no earlier than:	Funding can start from:
1 January and 31 March	1 January	Start of term beginning on or following 1 April after the child’s second birthday
1 April and 31 August	1 April	Start of term beginning on or following 1 September after the child’s second birthday
1 September and 31 December	1 September	Start of term beginning on or following 1 January after the child’s second birthday

For more information please see Date of Birth Eligibility factsheet.

Extended Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds

A 3 or 4-year-old can get the extended entitlement of up to 1140 hours of funded childcare (30 hours per week, term time) if the both parents or lone parent:

earns at least £115 a week or works more than 16 hours at the National Living Wage (unless you became self-employed less than 12 months ago), or expect to earn at least £111 a week or work more than 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage (unless you became self-employed less than 12 months ago).
expect to earn at least £61.92 a week if you’re under 18, £84.80 a week if you’re aged 18-20 or £52.80 a week if you’re an apprentice (either under 19 or in the first year of your apprenticeship)

Both parents or lone parent must also:

live in England
expect to have income of less than £100,000 each a year

More information on eligibility can be found here.

Please see the Extended Entitlement webpage for more information

From	Hourly Rate		Description
September 2017	£4.02	=	Base Rate of £3.98 + Universal SEND £0.04
April 2018	£4.06	=	Base Rate of £4.02 + Universal SEND £0.04
September 2018	£4.08	=	Base Rate of £4.02 + Universal SEND £0.04 + Deprivation £0.02

E-mail:	eyef@devon.gov.uk
Phone:	01392 385530
Post:	Early Years and Childcare Service, Devon County Council, Room 170, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 4QD