Eligibility and Criteria

2 Year Olds

Government funding allows us to provide free places of up to 15 hours a week for those children who are eligible. Please see below whether you meet the eligibility criteria.

What we can offer:

15 hours funding per week, 38 weeks of the year (term-time only).
3 hours per day either a morning session (8.45am - 11.45am) or an afternoon session (12.30pm - 3.30pm).

When does your eligibility begin:

The date from when your entitlement to funding begins, depends on the date your child's birthday falls on.

Birthday between

1st April & 31st August - Beginning of the Autumn Term (September onwards)

1st September & 31st December - Beginning of the Spring Term (January onwards)

1st January - 31st March - Beginning of the Summer Term (April onwards).

3 & 4 Year Olds

We can also offer places to those children between the age of 3 & 4 who are entitled to extended funding (30 hours per week). You can apply for 30 hours funding from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks old.

To find out if you're eligible, visit the Rochdale Council website https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/earlyyearseducation or alternatively the Childcare Choices website https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

What we can offer:

30 hours funding, 5 days per week, 38 weeks of the year (term-time only).
6 hour session per day between the hours of 8.45am - 2.45pm
We can offer a full day provision (8.45am - 3.30pm) for an additional fee.

Recommended time to apply before the deadline:

Your child turns 3 between

1st April and 31st August - apply by 31st July to ensure your child can receive 30 hours from September.

1st September and 31st December - apply by 30th November to ensure your child can receive 30 hours from January

1st January and 31st March - apply by 28th February to ensure your child can receive 30 hours from April.

Unfortunately, if you do not apply by the deadlines specified above, your 30 hour code may not be eligible until the following term.

2 Year Old Eligibility

Your 2 year-old can get childcare if you live in England and get one of the following benefits:

Income support.
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
Child tax credits and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax.
The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit.
The working tax credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).
Universal Credit and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments

If you’re a non-EEA citizen who cannot claim benefits you may be eligible under any of the following criteria:

Support under the immigration and Asylum Act and have either claimed Asylum in the UK and are waiting for a ‘part 6’ or been refused asylum in the UK known as ‘section 4’,
Leave to remain with ‘no recourse to public funds’ on family or private life grounds.
Support from your Local Authority because you have ‘a child in need’, for example they have a disability or a child protection plan.
the right to live in the UK because you’re the main carer of a British citizen (known as a Zambrano carer).

If you’re a working family:

You and any partner each expect to earn (on average) at least £167 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage).
If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you're unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.

Children are also entitled to a place if:

They are looked after by a Local Authority.
They have an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP).
They receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
They have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order.

From 2 January 2024, eligible working parents can apply for 15 hours of childcare for their two-year-old. Parents have until 31 March 2024 to apply for a code.

To apply for a childcare code each parent/carer needs to be working and earning the equivalent of 16 hours a week at national minimum/living wage and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year. This means that each parent needs to earn from just over £8,600 per year to be eligible for 15 hours a week of childcare during term-time.

3 and 4 Year Old Eligibility

All 3 year and 4 year old children are entitled to 15 hours free childcare, for 38 weeks per year.

If you think you may be eligible for Government extended hours (30 hours), you are responsible for checking your eligibility and providing the 30 hour code to nursery.

You may be eligible for 30 hours if you meet the following criteria:

You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £142 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage).
If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you're unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.

Howard Street Nursery