When would a child, born in February 2014, expect to start preschool?

[ApplesAndPears1234]

Or, does it vary from county to county?

I am so confused about everything. I am not really sure when the 15 free hours would start.

Thanks in advance

From Gov.UK:

You can start claiming free childcare after your child turns 3. The date you can claim will depend on when their birthday is.

Child’s birthday When you can claim
1 January to 31 March the beginning of term on or after 1 April
1 April to 31 August the beginning of term on or after 1 September
1 September to 31 December the beginning of term on or after 1 January

---

So Feb 2014 - start date April 2017

But also...

Some 2-year-olds in England can get free early education and childcare.

You must be getting one of the following:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
tax credits and have an annual income under £16,190 before tax
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit

Children are also entitled to a place if:

they’re looked after by a local council
they have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education health and care plan
they get Disability Living Allowance
they’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order

If your child is eligible, you can start claiming after they turn 2.

The standard funded 15 hours start from the beginning of the term after their 3rd birthday, so your dc would get funding from the start of the summer term in 2017.

It would be the start of the summer term so after the Easter holiday, if you qualify for the 15 hours from age 2 it will be 2016 if you don't qualify till 3 it will be 2017

April 2017 - my DS is a January 2014 baby and this is when his free hours kick in (not that I'm counting )

My DD, born Jan 14 is starting some sessions this September (paid for not funded, but lots cheaper than her current nursery so I'm going to mix and match), they take them from 2 and a half. Funding will be from next Easter (2017).

Are you in England, Scotland, Wales or somewhere else? Kinda makes a big difference!!

Thanks for your help, everybody.

I can't believe I forgot to say, I am in England!

Although the 15 hours will kick in in April2017, it doesn't mean you can join a preschool then necessarily - some (like school nurseries l) run by academic year so would be September 2017 ie the year before nursery

Ah, I think that's why I getting a bit muddled up, ceeveebee. That makes sense.

• why I'm getting a bit muddled up.

and they go by different names....pre-school, nursery, etc., and one setting that calls itself a Nursery is actually the same as the pre-school down the road, but quite different from another one that calls itself a Nursery up the road the other way.

It really is confusing.

So, your dc will start Reception in Sept 18, so some places only take dc in their 'pre-school year', aka 'nursery year', so they might take all dc in, in Sept 17, but other places take dc in from 2 or 2.5, or others from 6 weeks.

Early Education Funding (as Hulababy says) will kick in after Easter 2017 for you, but , unless you have booked it early in the year, it might be your chosen Nursery has no places left at that time of year.

Thanks, BackforGood

I run a preschool. We take children from the day they are two

Thank you