30 hours free early education and childcare
All 3 and 4-year-olds are already entitled to 15 hours of free early education. From September 2017 there will be an additional 15 hours of free childcare available for families that meet the Government's eligibility criteria.
Bulletins
To see our new Early Years and Childcare bulletin, please visit our early education and childcare documents page
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 11 - January 2018
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 10 - December 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 9 - November 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 8 - October 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 7 - September 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 6 - August 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 5 - July 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 4 - June 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 3 - May 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 2 - April 2017
- 30 hours free early education and childcare, Monthly update Issue 1 - March 2017
Eligibility
The government has set the following eligibility criteria:
- Both parents must be working - or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family
- Each parent earns, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage or national living wage
- Each parent must have an annual income of less than £100,000
More detailed information can be found on the GOV.UK website:
Providing Childcare
You may be in a position to offer the 30 hours within your current service, you may have additional unused space you could convert to offer extra places or you may consider working in partnership with another childcare provider to offer the full 30 hours.
To limit the risks to providers, any changes to the current service you offer should be based on sound market research and planning with an eye on continued sustainability of your service. The Childcare Sufficiency Team has estimated the demand for the extra 15 hour places across Kirklees which is summarised with other useful information to help you with your planning:
Graduated 30 Hour Development Business Advice from the Childcare Sufficiency Team
The Childcare Sufficiency Team can offer a degree of business advice to providers interested in developing their capacity to offer 30 hours of FEEC to working parents but due to limited resources can only do so on a graduated basis. With this in mind we have published information, toolkits and links to other useful websites to allow providers with the initial steps through a self-help approach.
Some providers may not require any further assistance after accessing this information but others may. The expectancy is that you will have prepared a business plan (which need not be of great length) and carried out your own market research in your local area, then formed an idea of local need and how you might either alone or in partnership be thinking of an offer to parents. We have developed a template which can be modified to suit your particular situation:
Once you have carried out your thorough market research (including parent surveys) you will be in a better position to plan services which enhance the sustainability of your organisation whilst meeting the needs of working parents.
Useful information
- 30 hour places gap analysis update by ward June 2018
- 30 hour places gap analysis update by ward February 2018
- 30 hours free childcare, information for professionals
- How to find your 30 hours code
- 30 hour places gap update by ward July 2017
- 30 Hours Hub Event - questions and answers
- 30 Hours Hub Event Presentation
- Delivering 30 hours in out of school settings
Online toolkits
Toolkits have been developed and these are available online to assist with a self-help approach to getting you up and running with your projects:
Application and funding process
- If you require business advice regarding expanding your places, contact the Childcare Sufficiency team
- Phone 01484 221000
- Email childcare.sufficiency@kirklees.gov.uk
- If you have any questions regarding the application and funding process, contact the Free Early Education and Care Team
- Phone 01484 225752
- Email feecteam@kirklees.gov.uk