30 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds

All families can receive up to 15 hours funded childcare per week (38 weeks per year) the term after their child turns 3. Everyone can access this, and there's no need to do anything other than apply for a place at your chosen childcare provider.

Many working families may also be able to receive an additional 15 free hours of childcare, raising the entitlement to 30 hours during term time.

The additional 15 hours of free childcare is available for families where:

both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a sole parent family), and
each parent earns a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage, and
both parents earn less than £100,000 a year

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.

See full eligibility details.

You may also be able to get other support to reduce the costs of childcare.

You will need to apply for a code to to get this 30 hour free childcare support. You will then provide this to your chosen childcare provider.

Where free entitlement places are available

In South Tyneside, free entitlement places is available in:

schools and academies with a nursery class
maintained nursery schools
pre-school
day nurseries
childminders

When your child can start

Children can start from the term following their third birthday until they start full-time education, providing they stay eligible.

This is usually in the September following their fourth birthday.

Contact the provider for their term start dates and to arrange settling-in sessions.

Regardless of your situation, everyone with a 3 and 4 year old is entitled to 15 free hours of childcare during term time.

You will be eligible for an additional 15 hours per week free childcare (making this up to 30 hours) during term time if:

both you and your partner are working (or the sole parent is working in a sole parent family)
you, and your partner, expect to each earn a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage
you, or your partner, don't individually expect to earn £100,000 or more adjusted net income
you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave
you, or both you and your partner, are on statutory sick
either you or your partner are employed and the other parent has either substantial caring responsibilities and / or disability

For full eligibility please check the government's Childcare Choices website.

The date you can apply depends on your child's birthday. Your child is eligible:

from the term following their 3rd birthday (see table below) until they reach compulsory school age
as long as they are not in a Reception class

Child born between	School term	Term beginning
1 April and 31 August	Autumn	On, or after 1 September
1 September and 31 December	Spring	On, or after 1 January
1 January and 31 March	Summer	On, or after 1 April

Applications for each term will need to be made by the relevant deadline dates:

Spring term: 31 December
Summer term: 31 March
Autumn term: 31 August

Summer term start dates can sometimes fluctuate depending on when Easter falls. The date of birth and dates for applications deadlines do not change.

If you are eligible, you can apply online for the 30 hours free childcare.

To apply, you will need your details (and your partner's, if you have one), including your:

National Insurance number
Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), if you are self employed

Apply for 30 hours free childcare online

Once you have applied and you have received your code, you will need to re-confirm eligibility every three months to keep getting your 30 hours free childcare.

Re-confirm your eligibility

If your situation changes, you will receive notice within six weeks or half a term.

During this time, your child will keep the additional hours. Eligibility will be checked again at the end of this period, and if still not eligible, you will no longer receive the additional hours.

Problems with your online application

If you are having problems with your online application or re-confirming your details please contact the childcare service helpline on 0300 123 4097.

The helpline will then check if you are eligible and provide you with a temporary code if you qualify.

Your code will begin with 11 and will be available throughout the year.

If you have missed out on a 30 hours place

If you have missed out on a 30 hours place through no fault of your own, you may be eligible for some monetary redress.

You must have made your application before the termly deadline and you must have paid out for childcare that would have otherwise been entitled to for free.

You must meet all other eligibility requirements such as the child's age and earnings threshold.

If you think you meet these conditions, please call the childcare service helpline on 0300 123 4097.

Childcare service compensation

If you have been unable to complete your application or sign in to your childcare account for technical reasons, you may be able to claim compensation and get the government top-up as a one-off payment.

You may also be eligible for a refund for any costs caused by the service not working as it should, mistakes or reasonable delays.

For information on eligibility and how to make a claim, visit GOV.UK: Childcare Service compensation.

If you are serving in the Armed Forces and are currently posted outside of England, you will get your code manually.

Please note this does not apply to other families working outside of England.

You may contact providers before a new term starts to ty and get a place for your child for when you return.

Depending on your return date, some places may not be taken up until mid-way through a term and you will get the standard code checks by providers / the Council, and you must have an eligible code with a pre-term start date.

If you have any questions or need to ask for a manual application because you are serving abroad, please contact the Childcare Service Helpline on 0300 123 4097.

For general parent queries, please contact HMRC on childcareservice.localgov@hmrc.gov.uk

Eligibility criteria

All eligibility criteria will be the same as regular applications. Please see eligibility criteria.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will provide HMRC with evidence of your posting before you are given a code.

If you are eligible for the extended entitlement, you can take up to 1140 hours free childcare across the year. You do not have to take the full amount. This can be taken term time only or 'stretched' across the year, as follows:

up to 30 hours per week across 38 weeks per year or (term time offer)
up to 23.75 hours per week across 48 weeks per year or (stretched offer)
up to 22.25 hours per week across 51 weeks of the year (stretched offer)

Please note, not all providers may be able to offer the stretched offer, the full 30 hours per week, or the particular pattern of provision that you need however, you can split your entitlement across more than one provider.

Depending on the provision you choose, you will be able to access your free childcare:

between 6am - 8pm
up to a maximum of 10 free hours per day, 30 hours per week
across a maximum of three providers, across a maximum of two sites per day

See a list of providers in South Tyneside currently offering 30 hours free childcare.

Providers who don't offer the extra hours

Some providers will not be able to deliver the offer, perhaps due to restrictions on their premises. Others may choose to remain as sessional care.

Individual providers do not have to offer the full day and can select their opening hours to meet local need. They may wish to work in partnership with other providers to make a full day.

You are able to access the entitlement across three different providers at most.

If you take more than 30 hours per week (or the equivalent of 1140 hours per year), there will be a charge from the provider for the additional hours.

If you are a parent or carer you will be required to check with your provider for details of these and any other additional charges such as meals, snacks or additional services.

You'll need to apply for a place with your chosen childcare provider.

You'll need to provide them with the code you'll receive when you apply for the 30 hour free childcare support.

Please see below to find out the providers who are offering 30 hours of free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds.

The list of providers has been grouped into the following Community Area Forums (CAF) areas:

30 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds

Overview

Where free entitlement places are available

When your child can start

Eligibility

When to apply

How to apply

Problems with your online application

If you have missed out on a 30 hours place

Childcare service compensation

Applying if you are in the Armed Forces

Eligibility criteria

How you can use your free childcare

Providers who don't offer the extra hours

Charges

Once you've applied

Providers offering 30 hours free childcare

Riverside

East Shields and Whitburn

West Shields

Hebburn

Jarrow and Boldon

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