Free childcare

A 2-year-old you care for may also get free childcare if your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, and you have either:

• leave to remain with no eligibility to public funds on family or private life grounds
• the right to live in the UK because you’re the main carer of a British citizen ( also known as Zambrano carer, a person from a non-EEA state whose residence is required in order to enable a child or dependant adult, who is British, to live in the UK ). If you wish to apply under the above criteria please email neg2@brent.gov.uk to receive the appropriate application form.

For further information, call 020 8937 3001

Your 2-year-old may get free childcare if you are getting support under the Immigration and Asylum Act and have either:

• claimed asylum in the UK and are waiting for a decision (known as ‘part 6’)
• been refused asylum in the UK (known as ‘section 4’)

The early years pupil premium (EYPP) is additional funding of up to £300 that your childcare provider can claim to improve the education they provide to your child.

If your childcare provider receives extra funding, your child would:

• benefit from extra resources and equipment suited to their needs
• enjoy a range of new play, learning and activity experiences
• be prepared for starting school.

Is my child eligible

Your child could be eligible for EYPP if they are 3 or 4 year old in a childcare setting and you receive:

• income Support
• income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on –paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for 
• Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit and have an annual net earned income below £7,400 (assessed on up to three of the parents most recent Universal Credit assessment periods)

Or your child has:

• been looked after by the local authority in care for at least one day
• been adopted from care
• left care through special guardianship
• subject to a child arrangement order.

How to apply

If you think you qualify, talk to your childcare provider and they will verify your eligibility and apply for the funding.

This additional support will be paid directly to your childcare provider who will use the funds to support your child’s progress. Childcare settings will have to demonstrate to Ofsted how they used  the funds to improve your child’s education.

If your child moves to another childcare provider, you can transfer the funding as long as you are still eligible.

This is extra funding for early years providers to help support children with identified special educational needs or disabilities. It helps your child to access a free early education place by supporting providers to make reasonable adjustments to their settings.

Early years providers can apply for £615 per child per year as a one-off payment for three and four-year-old children who attend their setting and who also receive Disability Living Allowance.

If you think you qualify, please let your early years setting know when your child starts.

For further information, please contact Brent Council's Children and Families Information Service (CFIS).

You can apply online for a childcare account on GOV.UK to get a code for 30 hours to give to your provider.

Once you get your code, then you can arrange your childcare place ahead of the term in which your child becomes eligible.

1. Take your code to your childcare provider, along with your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth.
2. Your childcare provider will check the code is authentic and allocate your child a free childcare place. You will then need to confirm that you continue to be eligible every 3 months by logging back on to the website.

You can take up your place from the term after your child turns three or the term after you get their code, whichever is later.

Before you apply, make sure you read all the below information.

You must apply for your 30-hour code the term before your child will start in their place.

Your eligibility depends on:

• if you are working
• your income
• your child’s age and circumstances
• your immigration status
• If you are working

You can usually get 30 hours free childcare if:

• both parents are working (or the sole parent in a lone parent family) and each parent/carer earns on average a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage (for under 25 year olds) or national living wage (if over 25 years old), 
• you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity, adoption, annual or sick leave
• you're unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities
• if you or your partner lose their job, there will be a "grace period" – of one term - allowing parents to have a chance to find new employment. 

If you are not currently working

You can still apply for 30 hours free childcare if: 

• you or your partner are unemployed. You both must become employed within 14 days of applying
• you are not currently working and you get Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance

Your income

You’ll be expected to earn the equivalent to 16 hours at National Minimum Wage or Living Wage over the coming three months. In 2021 this equates to:

• 104.96 per week for each working parent between 18-20 years old
• £133.76 per week for each working parent between 21-24 years old
• £142.56 per week for each working parent over 23 years old
• Overall earnings less than £100,000 each a year.

‘Parent’ means a person who has parental responsibility for the child. In cases where a parent has remarried or is living with a partner, the step-parent or partner must also meet the earning threshold.

Your child

Your child must:

• be three to four years old
• usually live with you

you may get different eligibility outcomes for each of your children if you apply for 30 hours free childcare for more than one child.

Free childcare stops when your child starts in reception class (or reaches compulsory school age, if later).

Foster carers may be eligible for children that they foster. If you are foster carer you should speak to your social worker to discuss.

Your immigration status

To be eligible for 30 hours free childcare, you (or your partner if you have one) must have a National Insurance number and at least one of the following:

• British or Irish citizenship
• settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you’re waiting for a decision

Circumstances where you may still be eligible:

You can still apply for 30 hours free childcare if you or your partner:

• are claiming Universal Credit or tax credits, childcare vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare
• are temporarily away from England for a period of up to 6 months, such as if you're in the military (on duty)

You're not eligible if:

• you're in receipt of a childcare grant
• you're a full-time student/an intern
• you're not entitled to receive public funds

30 hours can be taken across any registered provider delivering 30 hour places (this is likely to include schools, childminders, private voluntary and independent settings and out of school providers).

Families can choose to take up their entitlement across up to two providers on any day. For example a child could take up a morning place in a private daycare setting and an afternoon place with a childminder or an afternoon session at a school site and a twilight session with a childminder.

Childcare providers don’t have to deliver the full 30 hour entitlement. They can choose to offer some or all of the hours. Parents are free to ‘shop around’ to find appropriate funded provision.

Find information on which providers are offering 30 hours