New mother clueless on nursery system/process - UK

[Helpmeimtired]

Hello all,

I am wondering if there is a kind soul out there who can help enlighten me on the process around applying for nursery for my DS in the UK (London).

I have no idea how to find out what financial help I am entitled to from the government for child care. I am aware there is some sort of voucher scheme?

Any help is appreciated!

Thank you,
Novice Mother x

From the term after their 3rd birthday you get 15 hours (30 hours in some circumstances) term time hours at nursery. You can apply for a maintained preschool (state) usually attached to a school or a private nursery which is a credit on your bill usually.

www.childcarechoices.gov.uk is a good place to look for help with childcare costs

You can also set up a tax free childcare account to pay nursery. For every £80 you put in, the government tops up by £20 up to an extra £500 or so every 3 months.

You can apply for tax free childcare, 20% off the bill every month up to a certain amount- www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

Yes, the vouchers have been replaced with the tax free childcare scheme. It works like a bank account, you put money in, the government top it up then you use that to pay nursery. Most/ all nurseries will accept being paid in this way (some childcare for older kids might not e.g my school breakfast club doesn't accept it).

That all that is available until they are 3 usually (occasionally 2, it depends on your income).

Visit some nurseries, find one you like and put your name down!

Try this as well to see if you are elegible for 30 hours rather than 15 hours.
www.gov.uk/apply-30-hours-free-childcare

All the schemes and free funding can be used at any type of Ofsted registered setting. They all work to the EYFS standards and are inspected by the same Ofsted inspectors. You can use...childminders (work from their own homes), preschools, private or school run nurseries.

Also, be aware that names are interchangeable.

There is another thread running at the moment about Nurseries and Key Workers, and people are using what happens at their particular Nursery and assuming that is across the board.

Words like 'Pre-school', 'Nursery', 'Nursery school', 'Day Care', 'Playgroup' 'Kindergarton' are used somewhat interchangeably.
Childminders can also work with others to provide a slightly different type of Nursery experience.
All can be funded through the Triple E funding.

In Scotland everyone gets 30 free hours (term time) once child is 3.

There's also help to be had through universal credit - it's means tested but in London can be payable on pretty high incomes so it's worth using one of the benefit calculators on the gov.uk website to check if you'd have entitlement. You have to choose between tax free childcare and universal credit, so make sure you do the maths to see which you'd be better off claiming

The links PP are a good starting point for research. Also talk to the nurseries you are interested in they will be able to explain financial options in detail and may have their own fee structures that could be useful to you.