Government Funding
Changes to Funded Childcare from April 2024
On 15th March 2023, the government announced plans to increase access to funded childcare hours to include younger children. The phased introduction of this plan begins in April 2024 through to September 2025.
From April 2024, children aged two are to receive 15 hours of funded childcare.
As of September 2024, children aged nine months are to have access to the 15 hours of funded childcare.
By September 2025, all eligible children aged from nine months to school age are to receive 30 hours of funded childcare.
For more information on these changes and how to apply, please click here
15 Hours Funding
In England, there are three government funded 15 hours free early education schemes that offer childcare for children aged from 9 months:
- 15 hours funded childcare for eligible 9-month-olds
- 15 hours funded childcare for eligible 2-year-olds
- 15 hours funded childcare for all 3 and 4-year-olds
For more information regarding the 9-month-old offer, please click here
For more information regarding the 2-year-old offer, please click here
For more information regarding the 3 and 4-year old offer, please click here
30 Hours Funding
All three- and four-year-old children in England receive 15 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year. Some children may also be entitled to an additional 15 hours of free childcare, otherwise known as the '30 Hours Childcare' or 'Extended Entitlement'. This entitlement would overall amount to 1,140 hours of funded childcare.
For more information regarding the 30 Hours Funded Childcare offer for 3 and 4 year olds, please click here
Consumables
The Department for Education issued guidance in December 2016 stating that the Early Years Funding is intended to cover the cost to deliver 15 or 30 hours of free, high quality, flexible childcare and does not cover consumables - morning and afternoon snack, lunch and tea.
Little Rosie's offers an optional Consumables Fee Scheme for the provision of lunch and dessert during your child's Funded Childcare Sessions and costs £2.90 per session.
Parents who do not wish to opt-in to this scheme will need to provide a healthy, nut-free packed lunch from home for their child's funded session.
These additional charges are only applicable to the 15/30 Hours Funded Childcare.
Extended Day Services
Breakfast club, Afterschool club and Top-up session are an optional extended day service for the 15/30 Hours Government Funded Childcare sessions and are chargeable on a monthly basis.
Breakfast Club (8:00am to 9:30am) | Afterschool Club (3:30pm to 5:30pm) |
£10 per funded session | £15 per funded session |
Top-up Sessions
Children attending via the 15/30 Hours Free Childcare scheme can add additional hours to their current attending sessions through the use of top-up sessions. As these top-up sessions are private, the additional charges do not apply for these sessions but remain payable for the funded sessions only.