Over 1,000 parents are set to benefit from additional funded childcare hours from April 2024.
Over 1,500 parents already benefit from additional funded hours for three-year-old children and now this is extending to younger children. Applications for 15 hours childcare are now open for parents with a child who turns two on or before 31 March.
From September 2024, the 15 hours funded childcare will be expanded to eligible working parents in the city with children between nine and 23 months old. From September 2025, eligible working parents in England with children between nine months up to school age will have access to 30 hours childcare.
Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “It’s great news that more parents will now be eligible for funded childcare. We know that childcare costs can be prohibitive and so these funded places will support more parents who are currently working or want to work.
“It will also have positive knock on effects on our plans to grow the local economy, reduce hardship and enable greater prosperity and standard of living for all our residents.”
Parents can apply for their hours online to get their code and then share it with their childcare provider. To continue receiving the government support, they will need to reconfirm their details every three months on their gov.uk account. Parents who are already accessing childcare should speak to their childcare provider if they need any support.
Stoke-on-Trent has over 180 providers offering funded places for working parents, which includes day nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and schools. The majority of funded places for two-year-olds will be made available with private, voluntary and independent providers.
The funding comes alongside the existing government childcare support, including 30 hours for three and four-year-olds, Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare. Parents might be able to use more than one offer to help with their childcare costs.
To apply for funded childcare as a working parent or to see what support is available, now and in the future, parents should visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Funded places are also available for parents of two-year-olds receiving certain benefits on low-incomes. More information on eligibility is available at www.stoke.gov.uk/beststart.
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