Funding

RAFAKidz Big Red Blob

Funding

We know that it can be confusing trying to work out exactly what funding your child is entitled to, so we’ve put together all the information you need to know in one place.

We believe every child deserves to receive the best support that enables them to grow, be confident and reach their potential. Working in partnership with funding authorities, we want to make it as easy as possible for parents to access a high quality nursery like ours, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Did you know that when your child reaches two and until they leave for school, you may be eligible to receive funding for childcare at RAFAKidz?

To view the funding options available for your child, click the button for their age below:

Funding for children aged two

To be eligible for two year old funded nursery placements, one parent has to be in receipt of one or more of the following:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Child Tax Credit, provided your annual household income does not exceed £16,190
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum 1999
  • Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
  • Working Tax Credits, provided your annual household income does not exceed £16,190.

Also eligible, are children who have a statement of special educational needs (SEN) or an education, health and care plan, children who attract Disability Living Allowance (DLA), children who are looked after by the Local Authority or have left care through special guardianship or through adoption or child arrangement orders.

It is the responsibility of parents to apply to see if they are eligible. This can be done by visiting your local authority website.

Child’s birthday / when you can claim:

  • 1st Jan to 31st Mar / the beginning of the term on or after the 1st April.
  • 1st Apr to 31st Aug / the beginning of the term on or after the 1st September.
  • 1st Sept to 31st Dec / the beginning of the term on or after the 1st January.

Funding for children aged three to four

The funded childcare entitlement for three to four year old children is now 30 hours per week for working parents. This supports working parents with the affordability of childcare and enable parents who want to work, or to work more hours, to do so.

A child qualifies for free childcare if they are resident in England and under compulsory school age, and if both parents are working (or the sole parent in a lone parent family) and each parent earns, on average:

A weekly income equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage or living wage; and earn less than £100,000 per year.

Child’s birthday / when you can claim:

  • 1st Jan to 31st Mar / the beginning of the term on or after the 1st April
  • 1st Apr to 31st Aug / the beginning of the term on or after the 1st September
  • 1st Sept to 31st Dec / the beginning of the term on or after the 1st January.

To make a claim for extended entitlement please visit the Child Care Choices website.

Children playing outside at RAFAKidz Odiham

Tax-free childcare

Tax-free childcare is an option for parents with children at RAFAKidz nurseries.

If you’re a working parent with children under 12 (or under 17 for disabled children), you can open an online account to pay for registered childcare. The government will top-up the money you pay into the account. For every £8 you pay in, the government will add an extra £2. You can receive up to £2,000 per child – that’s up to £500 every three months. If you have a disabled child, you can receive up to £4,000 per child – that’s up to £1,000 every three months.

You’re usually eligible if all of the following apply:

  • is under 12, or 17 if they’re registered as having a disability
  • usually lives with you

  • are 16 or over
  • live or work in the UK
  • are employed or self-employed
  • are over 21 and earn on average at least £120 a week, unless in your first year of self-employment.

  • earn less than £100,000 a year each
  • don’t get other support with your childcare, including from a childcare voucher or salary sacrifice scheme

  • Carers Allowance
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Severe Disablement Benefit

To apply for tax-free childcare please visit the Child Care Choices website.

For further information on funding please contact us.

Wraparound childcare

(Known as ‘Out of School care’ in Wales and ’School Aged Childcare’ in Scotland)

The Wraparound Childcare (WAC) scheme supports Service families by funding wraparound childcare during term time for eligible Service children aged four to eleven years old (up to capped rates).

Eligible Service personnel (Tri-Service) can apply for up to 20 hours per week, term time only (39 weeks per year) of wraparound childcare funding for four to eleven year old children attending before and after school clubs in the UK.

  • At least one partner (or single parent) must be serving as an Armed Forces Regular (including Full Time Reserve Service Full Commitment).
  • Dependent children aged four to eleven must attend school (including home schooled children) and be living with the Serving person for the majority of the time unless separated due to service commitments (deployment, residential courses), or when on serving or unaccompanied assignments overseas involuntarily with the family in the UK. Adopted children, children of long-term relationships and domestic partner children, where they meet the eligibility criteria, are eligible. Where the child is normally resident elsewhere for example with another natural parent or relative, the Service person will be unable to claim WAC funding. Foster children are not eligible, as WAC eligibility is based on Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) criteria set by HMRC, part of the eligibility criteria for TFC is that the parent has responsibility for the child. Fostered children are ‘looked after children’ and the Local Authority (LA) is responsible for them. The way the LA delivers its responsibility is by employing foster carers, but the LA remains responsible for the child.
  • The partner of the Service person must be in paid employment, starting or restarting work within the next 31 days (earning the equivalent of 16 hours at national minimum / living wage). Both partners must each have an adjusted net income of £100,000 or less per annum.
  • The WAC provider must be Ofsted, or equivalent, registered, including schools and childminders.
  • A Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account must be set up with HRMC for each child that Service Personnel wants to claim the funding for.
  • The childcare provider must also be signed up to the TFC scheme.
  • The Service parent has either an assignment order to a UK based unit or is serving on an unaccompanied assignment overseas involuntarily with the family residing in the UK.

Service families can check if they are eligible and how to claim WAC funding by visiting the Discover My Benefits website.

Contact your unit HR team or admin office for any queries about claims. If you have questions about the policy contact [email protected].

Further information on WAC can be viewed on the Defence childcare portal on Defence Intranet or on Defence Connect (sign-in required).