Did you know that all 3 and 4 year olds in Heanor and Ripley are entitled to FREE childcare places for up to 15 hours a week for up to 38 weeks of the year?
Whilst many people think that this has to be used in a formal school setting, it is actually much more flexible than that, and as long as they are registered, your child can be at any of the following places:
You can even choose to take your entitlement over two different providers if you prefer, for example, nine hours in a nursery school, then the other six hours in a private day nursery. The only restriction is that the minimum time spent in any one day is 2.5 hours, and the maximum time is 10 hours.
The entitlement starts from the term after your child’s third birthday, so...
|
A child born on or between |
can access a free place from |
|
1 April and 31 August |
the beginning of the Autumn term |
|
1 September and 31 December |
the beginning of the Spring term |
|
1 January and 31 March |
the beginning of the Summer term |
Many childcare providers may charge for meals, snacks or optional extras as these are not always included within the free entitlement. Also, if you want your child to be looked after for more than 15 hours per week or more than 38 weeks during the year you will have to pay for those extra hours.
To access this entitlement, just speak to your preferred childcare provider to check that they are registered for the scheme, and let them know that you will be claiming. They can then give you the form which lets them claim the funding from the local council.
Here in Heanor and Ripley we have lots of different providers, including schools, nurseries and childminders. For details of the most highly recommended providers in the area, visit our Childcare and Nurseries listings.
