Free Childcare for 3 and 4 year olds - 30 hours (Extended Entitlement)

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Working parents with 3 and 4 year old children may be entitled to an extra 15 hours a week of flexible free childcare giving them 30 hours childcare a week for at least 38 weeks a year (1140 hours a year). 

Free childcare is an opportunity for children to join in play based activities in a quality environment to support their developmental learning journey and prepare them for school.

Childcare providers offer various models of flexibility when delivering free childcare and early education. Some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ your 30 hours entitlement over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week. Contact the childcare provider to find out more about flexible childcare for 3 and 4 year olds.

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Is my child eligible?

30 hours is available to families where:

Both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family);

Both parents are working includes circumstances where:

One or both parents are temporarily away from the workplace on parental, adoption, maternity or paternity leave; One or both parents are temporarily away from the workplace on statutory sick pay

One parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring

One parent is employed and one parent is disabled or incapacitated based on receipt of specific benefits.

Each parent has a weekly minimum income equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage or living wage (parents do not necessarily need to actually work 16 hours a week, but rather their earnings must reflect at least 16 hours of work at national minimum wage or national living wage) Neither parent has an income of more than £100,000 per year.

The definition of 'working' will include employed and self-employed persons and parents on zero hours contracts who meet the criteria.

Many parents have irregular work patterns and the government are keen that the childcare is offered flexible to meet parent's needs. Parents who are studying and grandparents or other family members with parental responsibility for a child aged 3 or 4 will be eligible for the extended entitlement if they meet the above criteria.


Important - if your child is in reception, you can't get free childcare. Once your child is of compulsory school age, they're no longer eligible.


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.

How do I apply?

To apply for 30 hours you must create or sign in to a Government Gateway Account.


You will then be asked questions about you and your partner, including your National Insurance Number and income.

At the end of the process you will have set up your Childcare Account.

If you are eligible to receive the 30 hours, you will be given an 11-digit 'eligibility code'. You can see this in your 'secure messages' section of your Childcare Account.


Once you have got your 30 hours code

  • You take the eligibility code to your chosen childcare provider to 'book' a place. The code will be validated by the childcare provider before a place is offered to your child.
  • Upon successfully validating the eligibility code, parent and childcare provider agree on a date when the provision will begin.
  • Your child is admitted into the provision for the length of the validity period.
  • You will receive notification to reconfirm your eligibility for 30 hours before the validity end date. You confirm that your circumstances have not changed since the initial application or update the application if it has.

Important

To get the 30 hours offer from the first day of each term, you must apply and receive your 30 hours code by deadline dates (31 August, 31 December and 31 March)

If you are struggling to access your account, please contact the HMRC helpline on 0300 123 4097


When can I apply?
Age of child When does my child's 30 hours start? Recommended apply date Take your code to your provider (Deadline)
3 or 4 on or before 31 March  April  Apply from January  By 31 March 

3 or 4 on or before 31 August

September  Apply from April  By 31 August 

3 or 4 on or before 31 December 

January  Apply from September  By 31 December 
Where can I take my child for 30 hours?

Ofsted registered day nurseries, pre-school playgroups and childminder can offer 30 hours entitlement if they follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework
School nurseries can also offer 30 hours. It is advisable to check with your childcare provider to find out if they offer 30 hours for 3 and 4 year olds.

Not all schools will offer the 30 hours free childcare and some school nurseries may only take children from the September following their 3rd birthday.

It is possible to take 30 hours free childcare at a day nursery, pre-school playgroup or childminder from the term following the child's 3rd birthday, and then transfer to a school nursery offering 30 hours at the start of the Autumn term (September).

 

Reconfirming eligibility

You must reconfirm your eligibility for 30 hours every 3 months, starting from the date of your application, even if your child hasn't started their 30 hours place. 

You will get a text and/or email 4 weeks before your reconfirmation deadline. This will prompt you to log into your Childcare Service account.


How do I access my account

You can access your account through the Government Gateway Account


Reconfirm 30 hours code
I've lost my 30 hours eligibility code

To get your eligibility code you have to access your Government Gateway account.  

You can retrieve your 30 hours eligibility code at any time, if you have already applied for 30 hours free childcare and/ or Tax-Free Childcare through GOV.UK


If you are still struggling to access your account, please contact the HMRC helpline on 0300 123 4097.

Immigration status and public funds

The parent who applies for 30 hours will need to meet a residence requirement.

The residence requirement will be met when a parent has one of the following:

    • British or Irish citizenship
    • Settled or pre-settled status granted under the EU Settlement Scheme
    • A pending EU Settlement Scheme application
    • Immigration permission that allows access to public funds, such as indefinite leave to remain or refugee leave
You cannot apply for 30 hours free childcare if you have 'No recourse to public funds (NRPF)


Early Education and Childcare rights and entitlements

Public Funds guidance

Support for families in Sandwell who have no recourse to public funds

Afghanistan Resettlement Education Grant

Immigration information for Ukrainians in the UK

30 hours for Foster Carers

3 and 4 year old children in foster care will be eligible for 30 hours of childcare if their foster carers meet the eligibility criteria and it is consistent with the child’s care plan. You must speak to your supervising social worker to see if you meet the criteria before completing an application form.


Eligibility Criteria

Children in foster care will be able to receive 30 Hours Funded Childcare the term after the child turns 3 if the following criteria are met:

Accessing the extended hours is consistent with the child’s care plan, placing the child at the centre of the process and decision making,

The foster carers must live in England


In single parent foster families:

The foster carer must engage in paid work outside their role as a foster carer (no set minimum hours)

The foster carer does not earn more than £100,000 a year


In two-parent foster families:

Both partners engage in paid work outside their role as a foster carer (no set minimum hours)

The foster carers do not earn more than £100,000 a year each

If one partner is working outside fostering and the other partner is in receipt of the following qualifying benefits:

Universal Credit - assessed as having limited capability for work

National Insurance credits because of incapacity or limited capability for work

Carer’s Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance

Incapacity Benefit

Severe Disablement Allowance


In families where only one person is the approved foster carer:

The approved foster carer must engage in paid work outside their role as a foster carer

The partner (of the foster carer) is in qualifying paid work and earning a minimum of the equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum/national living wage and does not earn more than £100,000 a year OR The partner (of the foster carer) is in receipt of the following qualifying benefits:

Universal Credit - assessed as having limited capability for work

National Insurance credits because of incapacity or limited capability for work

Carer’s Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance

Incapacity Benefit

Severe Disablement Allowance


How to apply

The application must be made to Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council who is the Corporate Parent of the child; if the corporate parent is another Local Authority you must contact them for an application form.

The child is eligible for 3 and 4 year old funding the term after their 3rd birthday. 3 and 4 years olds can start in a 30 hours place from the September, January or April.


Foster Carer 30 Hours Application Form

Application process:

Download and complete the application form 

Once you and your partner (if applicable) have completed and signed this form, you must supply evidence of paid employment outside of your fostering responsibilities; this can be in the form of copies of pay slips or employment contracts.

The completed form and your employment evidence must be sent to the Quality Early Years and Childcare Team to be checked and authorised.


Once your application is processed you will be notified of the outcome. You will receive an email/letter from the team, containing your unique 11 digits 30-hour code beginning with ‘400’.  You must take this code to your chosen Early Years and Childcare Provider, who will validate the code and confirm your 30-hour place for the child.

Your code can be used at any Early Years and Childcare provider that is registered to offer Early Education Funding in any English Local Authority, although there is an expectation that this will be at a provider who had a Good, Outstanding or Requires Improvement Ofsted rating

Your code will need to be renewed by Sandwell Quality Early Years and Childcare Team every 3 months, and you will need to contact us to renew this and confirm that your circumstances have not changed and that you still meet the criteria.


For further information email earlyyears_team@sandwell.gov.uk

What if I'm not eligible?

If you’re not eligible

All children are entitled to 15 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds starting the term after their 3rd birthday.

Childcare Choices has more information on paying for childcare and a Childcare Calculator.


Appealing a decision

An appeals process is available to those who disagree with the eligibility decision they receive. The review and appeals process is managed by HM Revenues and Customs on 0300 123 4097.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many weeks of the year is 30 hours available?

Working families are entitled to 30 hours in each of the 38 weeks of the academic year. Parents can choose to stretch this offer over up to 52 weeks of the year where this meets their childcare needs, for instance 22 hours a week for 52 weeks, or just under 24 hours for 48 weeks.


Is it childcare or early education?

All funded provision must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. There is no difference in the education and care standards which must be met for both the universal 15 hour and extended 30 hour entitlements.


Can I use any childcare setting that I like?

All Ofsted registered childcare providers across Sandwell will be able to offer the additional 15 hours childcare for eligible parents/carers if they have the space to do so.  It is a provider’s choice whether they deliver the 30 hours entitlement or not. They can choose to offer some or all of the hours. Parents are free to shop around to find appropriate funded provision.


Do I have to take up the full 30 hours?

No you can chose to take as many hours as you need, however, you will need to check with your childcare provider if they are able to accomodate your requirements. 


What if my provider is full and they cannot offer the extra hours that I need?

The majority of  childcare providers in Sandwell work in close partnership to deliver early education and childcare provision.The Family Information Service can provide you with details of childcare for 3 and 4 year olds  Contact Us


How will quality be maintained?

Providers will be expected to maintain a clear focus on the experience of children and the quality of their provision and all funded hours must meet Early Years Foundation Stage and Ofsted requirements.


Can I split the hours over more than one setting?

Yes, parents are allowed to split their free childcare across two providers per day.


Can I use my free childcare across the whole year?

Yes, the extended childcare offer has been introduced to support parents to have better access to more flexible childcare whilst at work, and to enable you to increase the number of hours worked. This means you can use your childcare to cover school holidays if you need to. If you use your childcare in term time only you will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week. If you use it over the whole year, you will be entitled to approximately 22.6 hours per week.


My child has special needs - will they receive sufficient care in the additional funded hours?

Every family should have access to good quality childcare that meets their needs. Childcare providers can get additional support to meet the requirements of children with special educational needs and disabilities in the additional funded hours.


Are the 30 hours totally free?

Some providers may charge for meals, snacks or optional extras as these may not always be included within the universal / extended entitlement. If you take more than your total entitlement there is likely to be a charge from your provider for these additional hours. Please check with your provider for full details of any additional charges.


Will the 15 hour entitlements continue?

All three and four year olds, and the most disadvantaged two-year olds, continue to be entitled to 15 hours early education a week.


Further information

If you require any further information on the 30 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds, please visit Childcare Choices for further details or Contact Us

Childcare Brokerage Service

The Brokerage Service  can help families who are unable to find a 3 and 4 year old funded place. Sandwell Family Information Service brokers will discuss your child's needs and provide advice and information on the availability of places in your area.

If you need any help finding suitable childcare then contact us and we’ll do our best to help you.

How to make a complaint

Complaints about free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds extended offer

If you have a complaint or have any issues regarding your 30 hours eligibility code then please contact HMRC directly on 0300 123 4097


Complaints about childcare quality

If the complaint relates to quality issues, first speak to your setting. If it isn't resolved, contact Ofsted on 0300 123 1234

Page last reviewed: 06/07/2023

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family_information@sandwell.gov.uk
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