Funding
Funding occurs once your child is 3 years old but only covers 3 hours of basic care. Children become eligible the term after they turn 3 years old until they start reception class. Parents can apply for the extended entitlement the term their child turns 3 years old. (Parents can only access their 30 hours funded place the term after they have confirmation of eligibility- no child can start accessing the 30 hours part way through the term)
Please note parents must apply for/reconfirm their 30 hour code on or before 31st August – if parents do not apply for/reconfirm their 30 hour code by 31st August they will not be able to claim the 30 hours funding in the Autumn term. Parents who apply for/reconfirm by the 31st August will be given a Validity Start Date prior to 1st September. For example – where a parent’s grace period ends on 31st August and the parent reconfirms on 3rd September – they will have a break in their eligibility and not be able to claim funding in the Autumn term.
Advice for Parents on How to Apply for Funding Online
What do parents need to do?
- Apply online at childcarechoices.gov.uk –
| Child turns 3 years old between | Recommended time to apply | Validity Start Date must be | Child can get 30 hours (if eligible) |
| 1 April & 31 August | 15 June to 31 July | 31 August or earlier | AUTUMN term |
| 1 September & 31 December | 15 October to 30 November | 31 December or earlier | SPRING term |
| 1 January & 31 March | 15 January to 28 February | 31 March or earlier | SUMMER term |
- Apply using the legal names of their child as set out on the child’s birth certificate
- Apply promptly and at the very latest by:-
- 31st August to claim the 30 hours funding in the AUTUMN term
- 31st December to claim the 30 hours funding in the SPRING term
- 31st March to claim the 30 hours funding in the SUMMER term
- Note: parents cannot start to claim a place midway through the term unless they received their code before the start of term
- Present their 30 hour code promptly to the provider (together with their NI details and child’s birth certificate) so that it can be validated
- Sign a parent contract agreeing the funded hours for the upcoming term (Only when the code has been validated and eligibility has been confirmed by the provider)
- Reconfirm that they are eligible every 3 months by logging onto their HMRC gateway account
Parents cannot claim the 30 hours until:-
- the term after the child turns three
- the term after they have received confirmation of eligibility from the HMRC
Useful contacts for parents:
www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
HMRC Helpline 0300 123 4097
www.bromley.gov.uk/30hours
Foster Parents can claim the 30 hours funding but they have to make an application to the Social Care Team in their local authority i.e. they do not apply to the HMRC. Foster parents need to meet a number of criteria including that the extended hours are consistent with the child’s care plan and that the foster parents are working.
Please see below further notes reference funding and also the Bromley Funding Parent Contract ref making a claim.
