Childcare Offer for Wales

Provides working parents with a mixture of childcare and early education

Childcare Offer for Wales

Under the Childcare Offer for Wales, you could claim up to 30 hours of early education and childcare in Wales per week, for up to 48 weeks of the year.

The scheme aims to make life a bit easier for parents/carers by providing support with childcare costs.

Who is eligible?

The Childcare Offer is open to any family living in the Caerphilly county borough if they meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Your child is 3- 4 years’ old
  • Lives in the Caerphilly county borough
  • Both parents /co-habiting couples in a two-parent family, or the sole parent in a lone parent family, must be either working or in education or training
Definitions

A parent includes guardians, step-parents, and live-in partners within the child’s household – all of whom will need to meet the eligibility criteria in order for that child to be able to take up the Offer.

A working parent can be a parent who is either employed or self-employed. This includes those who are on Apprenticeships, zero hours contracts and those who are newly self-employed. By minimum earnings criteria we mean that they must earn, on average, the equivalent of at least 16 hours per week at the relevant minimum wage applicable to them.  Earnings must not exceed £100,000 per annum per parent.

A parent in education or training can be a parent who is either:

  • enrolled on a Higher Education (HE) undergraduate or postgraduate course that is at least 10 weeks in length. This includes courses delivered via distance learning. OR,
  • enrolled on a course that is at least 10 weeks in length and which is delivered at a Further Education (FE) Institution. This includes courses delivered via distance learning

From September 2022, parents/guardians who are in education or training and meet the eligibility criteria will be able to access the Childcare Offer.

Exceptions to eligibility

Families in the following situations will still be eligible to access the Offer where:

  • Parents (or sole parent in a single parent family) are temporarily away from the workplace or have suspended their studies either because of sickness or because of parental leave. This includes maternity leave, statutory shared parental paid leave, and adoption leave.
  • One parent meets the eligibility criteria, and the other parent is in receipt of one of the following benefits:
    • Incapacity benefit;
    • Carers allowance;
    • Severe disablement allowance;
    • Long term incapacity benefit;
    • Employment and support allowance;
    • National insurance credits on the grounds of incapacity for work or limited capability for work; or
    • Universal Credit where the individual has been assessed as having limited capability for work.

Single parents and families where both parents are in receipt of the above benefits will not be able to access the Offer.

Where parents have separated

If custody is not shared equally:

  • The parent with primary custody will be eligible to take up the Offer if the eligibility criteria is met

If custody is shared equally:

  • One parent will need to be nominated as the lead parent for the Offer
  • Only one parent will be eligible to apply for that child.

If you think you are eligible, you must complete an application form. The Early Years Hub Team will check whether you are eligible and send you an email confirming the outcome of your application.

When to apply?

From the term following their 3rd birthday, children could be entitled to up to 20 hours of government funded childcare. This is in addition to the 10 hours already provided by their part-time Foundation Phase place and up to 30 hours of childcare during the school holidays.

Child’s date of birth When can I apply? * (There are no deadlines) When can my child access the Childcare Offer?*
1 September 2017 to 31 December 2017 16/10/2020 From the Spring Term 2021 to the Summer Term 2022
(4 January 2021 to end August 2022)
1 January 2018 to 2 April 2018 15/02/2021 From the Summer Term 2021 to the Summer Term 2022
(12 April 2021 to end August 2022)
3 April 2018 to 31 August 2018 31/05/2021 From the Autumn Term 2021 to the Summer Term 2022
(6 September 2021 to end August 2022)
1 September 2018 to 31 December 2018 25/10/2021 From the Spring Term 2022 to the Summer Term 2023
(4 January 2022 to end August 2023)
1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019 21/02/2022 From the Summer Term 2022 to the Summer Term 2023
(25 April 2022 to end August 2023)
1 April 2019 to 31 August 2019 30/05/2022 From the Autumn Term 2022 to the Summer Term 2023
(beginning September 2022 to end August 2023)

Please note: Funding only starts after confirmed completion of both the Application and Individual Child Placement processes. Payment is not back dated to start of term.

How to apply

To apply you will need to complete and submit an application form. We will then check your eligibility and then email you to confirm if you are eligible.

For further information on the process of applying for the Childcare Offer for Wales please click the link below:

Change of circumstances

Please complete a Change of Circumstances form if your child is currently receiving funded childcare from the Childcare Offer for Wales and your circumstances have changed that may effect your eligibility.

You will need to tell us if you and/or the second adult living in the household:

  • have become unemployed
  • have become self-employed
  • have changed employer
  • have changed the hours of employment
  • have stopped receiving a qualifying benefit
  • have moved house
  • have moved out of the household leaving only one parent or legal guardian living in the household
  • another adult has moved into the household
  • any other change you feel may impact on your entitlement

You do not need to tell us if you are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave but are still employed. This does not affect your eligibility.

 

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