30 hours funding and return to work query

[Sarah452]

Hi all,

My 12 month mat leave finishes mid Sep so technically returning to work mid Sep, daughter will be 11 months. I’m then planning on taking accrued a/leave (plus possibly a couple of weeks parental leave) and actually working from November. I have a nursery place for my daughter from November.

Will I qualify for the 30 hours funding in November? (I meet all other criteria), or does she have to actually attend nursery from September (when I technically return to work) for her to obtain the funding?

nursery have said she’d need to physically attend and have a place in September, if we leave it until November then the funding won’t kick in until January - is this right?

Thank you for any help!!

No the nursery is right, you’d have to wait until the start of the next term

Nursery are correct. My daughter started last October and I was better off starting a month earlier and using funding than starting in October and paying full whack.

The funding is allocated 3 times a year; sept, jan and April. If you want a place in nov the nursery won’t be able to access the funding as it’s mid way through that term. It will then kick in January.

Do some sums and look at how much it would cost to have the in from sept funded and then nov not funded till 1st Jan.

The 30hrs funding can only be applied in whole-term blocks so yes you'll need to fully fund the fees from Nov to Jan - or see if she can start part-time in September and increase hours from November.

She can start part way through a term if the nursery agree. It may be that they don’t want a space taken up in that way but funding can be claimed for a single week if necessary or a full term.

She’ll be eligible the term after she turns 9 months so I’m assuming that’ll be before September ?