Walmer Bridge Day Nursery is a registered childcare provider which offers the government’s funded early education and childcare support entitlement. Early education and childcare entitlement places are funded by the government via the local authority. Our local authority is Lancashire County Council. The hourly rate for funded places is decided by the local authority and rates are below the usual fees nurseries charge for their places.
In England, all parents and carers of 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours a week childcare support, across 38 weeks of the year (during school term time), totalling 570 funded hours per year. Eligible working parents and carers of children can also get an additional 15 hours childcare support, bringing their total up to 30 hours a week, across 38 weeks of the year, totalling 1,140 hours per year. Walmer Bridge Day Nursery also offers ‘stretched’ funding, meaning you can use your hours across 52 weeks of the year, by using fewer funded hours per week.
Some eligible parents of 2-year-old children may also be entitled to 15 hours childcare support, if they receive some additional forms of government support.
You can still use Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit for childcare whilst claiming your 15 or 30 hours of childcare support.
Government expansion scheme
From September 2025, eligible working parents of children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week, across 38 weeks of the year. This entitlement begins from the term after the child turns 9 months old. Terms begin in September (autumn term), January (spring term), and April (summer term).
Funded hours can be used over the 38 weeks of the year (during school term time), or ‘stretched’ over 52 weeks, by using fewer than your total entitlement of funded hours per week. This calculates to approximately 22 hours per week, across 52 weeks of the year.
What to Expect
The funded early education and childcare entitlement is intended to provide high-quality and flexible childcare. However, it does not include the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional services. In our setting we provide children with 3 balanced and nutritious meals a day. All meals are cooked fresh daily by our cook who creates imaginative meals from locally sourced producers.
Our nursery charges a small fee for meals and snacks, consumables, and optional activities, such as trips. Meal and consumable charges are detailed in the table below. If you wish, you can also choose to provide your child with a packed lunch.
Meal
Breakfast £1.00
Lunch £3.00
Snack £1.50
Consumables £0.30 (per funded hour)
Support with Childcare Costs
You can visit the Childcare Choices website to check the support that may be available to you. This website includes details of the eligibility criteria for funded childcare hours.
Don’t forget you may also be entitled to more help with the cost of childcare, including through Tax-Free Childcare or Tax Credits and Universal Credit.
More information: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
