The Childcare Offer provides 30 hours a week of early education and funded childcare for 3 to 4 year olds of eligible parents
Find out more about the Childcare Offer for Wales.
About the Childcare Offer
The Childcare Offer provides all eligible parents with a combined 30 hours of government-funded childcare and Foundation Learning Provision (early education) for up to 48 weeks per year
The 48 weeks includes:
- 39 weeks of combined education and childcare during school term-time, and
- 9 weeks of childcare in the school holidays.
There are 4 weeks of childcare during the school holidays that are not covered by the Childcare Offer, so you will need to pay for these.
| Education and childcare provision | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Foundation learning provision (early education) | 12.5 hours |
| Childcare offer | 17.5 hours |
| Total | 30 hours per week |
| Holiday provision | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Childcare offer | 30 hours |
You do not need to take up an early education place at a school nursery to use the Childcare Offer. Whether you choose to access the 12.5 hours of early education that comes with the Offer or not, your childcare funding will be capped at a maximum of:
- 17.5 hours in term time, or
- 30 hours during school holidays.
The Childcare Offer funding covers the childcare that is provided by the setting. It does not include food, transport to or from school nursery, or off-site activities that incur an extra charge, which you may have to pay.
If you have any queries about what extra costs you may have to pay after funding has been applied, please speak to your childcare setting.
Find out how to apply for an early education place.
If you would like to access the Tax-Free Childcare scheme to help with these additional costs you will need to submit a separate application on the GOV.UK website. Find out more about the Tax-Free Childcare scheme.
Eligibility
You are eligible for the Childcare Offer if you live in Wales, have a 3 or 4 year old child, and you are either:
A working parent that is:
- employed or self-employed. You must earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage, and your annual income must be no more than £100,000 gross per year.
A parent in education or training that is:
- enrolled on a higher education, undergraduate or postgraduate course that is at least 10 weeks in length. This includes distance learning courses, or
- enrolled on a course at a further education setting or school- based sixth form college, that is at least 10 weeks in length.
The course must be run by a publicly funded college or university to qualify.
If you have a partner who lives with you, they must also meet the criteria.
If your child has additional needs, there is extra funding available. Please contact us if your child may need additional support.
Some eligibility exceptions apply. You can check if you are eligible for the Offer on the Welsh Government website.
We cannot confirm if you are eligible until we have received and processed your completed application.
Choosing a childcare provider
You can choose any childcare provider that has signed up to the Childcare Offer and are registered with the Care Inspectorate Wales.
You can find out if your chosen provider is currently signed up by contacting the Childcare Offer team on 03000 628 628 or checking Dewis Cymru.
Making an application does not guarantee a childcare place.
When to apply
Applications will open 75 days before the start of term on these dates.
| Child's date of birth | Eligible from | Eligible to | Applications open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2021 to 31 March 2022 | Application approval | 31 August 2026 | Open |
| 1 April 2022 to 31 August 2022 | Application approval | 31 August 2026 | Open |
| 1 September 2022 to 31 December 2022 | 5 January 2026 | 31 August 2027 | Open |
| 1 January 2023 to 31 March 2023 | 13 April 2026 | 31 August 2027 | 29 January 2026 |
| 1 April 2023 to 31 August 2023 | 1 September 2026 | 31 August 2027 | 18 June 2026 |
If your application is approved, your funding will start after your provider accepts the childcare agreement you have set up.
There is no deadline to apply, but we cannot backdate any funding for applications that are approved after the start of term.
How to apply
You can apply on the Childcare Offer for Wales website.
This application is for the Childcare Offer element only. You must visit nursery admissions to apply for early education.
What to do if your circumstances change
We will carry out eligibility checks every term. It is your responsibility to let both us and the childcare setting know if your circumstances change.
If you don't respond when asked to confirm your eligibility for the Childcare Offer, or if you become ineligible, you will enter a temporary exemption period for up to 8 weeks.
When you enter a temporary exemption period, you will get an email telling you the date that your funding will end. Your Childcare Offer account dashboard will also display a notification.
You will continue to receive funding during a temporary exemption period. This gives you time to resubmit evidence of your eligibility or provide new evidence if it is needed.
You will continue to receive funding during a temporary exemption period. This gives you time to resubmit evidence of your eligibility or provide new evidence if it is needed.
Contact us
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your application, please contact us.
Tel: 030 0062 8628
Email: [email protected]
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