Help with childcare costs

[HumanBehaviour]

My 9 month old son just started crawling, he's everywhere all the time and I need to keep an eye on him constantly. He also only has one nap a day now and it's an hour long.

I'm studying with the OU but can't find any time at all to actually study! In the evenings after the kids have gone to sleep I am completely shattered.

Can I get help to fund childcare from anywhere? Can tax credits cover some of the cost? I'm thinking maybe 9 hours childcare a week.

Or is there anwhere else I can ask for help from?

It is so hard to study when the little ones need so much watching, I have three so can empathise! I found that naps were not useful for studying, particularly for concentration and so evenings have been my main option. I put my three into childcare for one afternoon a week which costs loads and is really our financial limit. We applied for tax credits and get a small amount each month, just because the three children are all very young. The money for tax credits does not provide for childcare as this small number of hours coupled with me being 'at home' although studying does not count. When they get to three years there is provision for 15 hours free pre-schooling, but like me this is too distant for the current situation.

If anyone has some advice I would love to hear it too, but unfortunately I have not found a way to get some childcare funded :(

Well done for studing in the evenings! I am far to tired to do that but will try start getting up at 5 am to stud before they wake up.
I cannot imagine studing with three at home!

I'm finishing my studies in June next year when little one is close to two so the 15 free hours at three won't help me I', afraid.

Have you tried to input your household incomes and childrens details in the tax credits calculator to work out what you might be eligable for? For example I pay £17.50 per child for 5 hours, so for two afternoons would be £35 per week for your child, roughly. If the tax credit calculator offers you £140-175 per month it would be covered. Always worth checking incase you are entitled to some extra funds :)

We are receiving tax credits already but we need these for other things I'm afraid.

Hi, I came across a grant system for part-time students to cover costs such as course fees, travel, materials etc for household incomes

Wow, that would definitely help! What is it?

The link to the part-time grant system is www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Applyingforthefirsttime/DG_171530

This should give the eligibility details and the calculator to work it out based on incomes etc. Not sure if it will help, but a little may cover a few hours a week childcare. Obviously the lower the household income the more grant is payable.