15 & 30 Hours Childcare Support
We are pleased to offer 15 or 30 hours of free childcare to eligible families, in partnership with Westminster City Council.
1. How to Check Eligibility
You can check if you qualify for free funded childcare by visiting:
Follow the steps on the website to apply. If eligible, you will be given an eligibility code. Please provide this code to us as soon as possible.
2. What We Need From Parents
To access your funded hours, you must:
Provide your eligibility code before the portal closure dates (these will be shared in our calendar).
Renew your code on time to avoid losing your funded hours.
Complete and return a Parent Declaration Form (we will email this to you once you confirm eligibility).
Provide proof of your child’s date of birth (a photo of their birth certificate or passport uploaded to the gallery on our childcare system).
Follow all steps as outlined on the Childcare Choices website.
3. Term Dates & Calendar
We follow Westminster City Council’s term dates.
Half-term dates will be listed in our online calendar.
Portal opening/closing dates for funded hours will also be listed.
Your eligibility code expiry date will be shown in the calendar so you can renew in time.
4. How Funded Hours Are Applied
Our childcare service operates 10 hours per day, 4 days a week (maximum 40 hours per week), 52 weeks per year (excluding carer holiday periods).
Free funded childcare is offered:
15 or 30 hours per week
Term time only (no funded hours during half-terms)
15 Hours Funded:
Covers part of your childcare time during term weeks.
You will pay your contracted hourly rate for any additional hours each week.
30 Hours Funded:
Covers most of your weekly hours during term time weeks.
One full day per week will be charged at your daily contracted rate.
Important:
Funded hours start from the first contracted day of each week (excluding bank holidays).
Unused funded hours cannot be carried over to another day.
5. Costs Not Covered by Funding
Government funding covers childcare hours only. It does not cover:
Meals, charged monthly only for funded days.
Additional hours or services beyond your funded allowance and during half terms
Consumables
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You may be able to get extra help with childcare costs through Universal Credit, Childcare Vouchers, or Tax-Free Childcare.
6. Invoices & Payments
Monthly invoices will clearly show your free funded hours and include fees for meals and any non-funded hours.
This page has been created to highlight key points around Funded hours, please contact us — we’re happy to help you understand how funded hours will work for your family.