Childcare, Early Education places and help with costs

Most children in Calderdale can get a funded childcare or early education place for:

• between 15 - 30 hours a week for up to 38 weeks a year;
• or for fewer hours per week for more weeks a year, as a stretched offer.

All funded places start the term after a child's qualifying birthday.

Children aged 9 months and over living in working families

Working families of children aged three and four years old could be eligible now if they meet the criteria.

• From April 2024 working families of children aged from two year olds could be eligible if they meet the criteria.
• From September 2024 working families of children aged from 9 months could be eligible if they meet the criteria.

To check if you are eligible, visit: Check you're eligible for free childcare if you're working (GOV.UK).

Foster carers who work

Please speak to your social worker for more advice if:

• you are a foster parent of an eligible child and you work outside of fostering;
• and you wish to apply for the Working Parents' Entitlement.

For two years olds

Living in disadvantaged/low income families or those that get some extra government support.

You can get 15 hours of funded childcare and early education childcare if you get any of these benefits:

• Income Support.
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
• Universal Credit and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments.
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit.
• Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both) and your household income is £16,190 a year (or less) before tax.
• The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on. (This is what you get paid when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.)

You can also get it if you:

• Are looked after by a local authority.
• Have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.
• Get Disability Living Allowance.
• Have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order.

To apply, see: Apply for funded childcare for eligible 2 year olds.

You may also be eligible if:

• You claim 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');
  • or been refused asylum in the UK (known as 'section 4').
• Your household income is £15,400 a year (or less) after tax:
  • and you have leave to remain with 'no recourse to public funds' on family or private life grounds;
  • or the right to live in the UK because you are the main carer of a British citizen. (This is known as a 'Zambrano Carer'.)
• Have a UK ancestry visa.
• Have temporary protection status under Section 12 of the Nationality and Borders Act.
• Have pre-settled status with no qualifying right to reside.

Children from all families with NRPF, subject to these maximum income thresholds are eligible:

• £26,500 outside London with one child.
• £34,500 within London with one child.
• £30,600 outside London with two or more children.
• £38,600 within London with two or more children.
• A maximum capital threshold of £16,000 in all areas.

To ask us to check, please email: eef@calderdale.gov.uk.

All three and four year olds

These can get up to 15 hours of funded childcare and early education per week for up to 38 weeks a year. This is called the 'Universal entitlement'.

Contact your local childcare provider to ask about a place.

What is not covered by the funding

There are some things that are not covered by this scheme and you should discuss this with your childcare provider.

Help with childcare costs

To find out what support there is, which includes Tax Free Childcare, visit: Childcare Choices.

Extra help to find a childcare place

We can offer free support and advice, please email: fis@calderdale.gov.uk.

Early years and childcare settings in Calderdale

For more about this, visit: Calderdale Childcare.

Contact

Early Years Learning and Childcare Team:

• Post to: Town Hall, Halifax. HX1 1UJ.
• Email: eef@calderdale.gov.uk.