Funded Early Years Education
All children become eligible for Funded Early Years Education the term after their third birthday.
A child is eligible for Funded Early Years Education at the start of the term after their third birthday in line with the Department of Education Statutory Guidance
| An eligible child born between: | Will be able to take their funded early education entitlement from: |
| 1 April – 31 August (inclusive) | The start of Term 1 following their third birthday (after Summer holidays) |
| 1 Sept – 31 Dec (inclusive) | The start of Term 3 following their third birthday (after Christmas/New Year) |
| 1 Jan – 31 Mar (inclusive) | The start of Term 5 following their third birthday (after April holiday) |
From April 2024 eligible working parents of 2 year olds will be able to apply for 15 hours of Funded Early Education increasing to 30 hours from September 2025. A parent has to be earning the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage. Some 2 year olds may also be eligible for funding through a different scheme called FF2 for parents on low income.
To check your eligibility please visit the government website www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
| An eligible child born between: | Will be able to take their funded early education entitlement from: |
| 1 April – 31 August (inclusive) | The start of Term 1 following their second birthday (after Summer holidays) |
| 1 Sept – 31 Dec (inclusive) | The start of Term 3 following their second birthday (after Christmas/New Year) |
| 1 Jan – 31 Mar (inclusive) | The start of Term 5 following their second birthday (after April holiday) |
Your child is entitled to 570 hours of Free Early Education over 38 weeks per year. However, depending on which days your child attends this may not be possible, due to bank holidays. We will inform you if this is the case and aim to offer alternative hours.
Children are also able to attend for extra hours and these are charged at our normal rate of £8.68 per hour for anything that is over their Funded Early Years Education.
30 hours Funded Early Education: Eligibility criteria applies.
Further information is available at www.kent.gov.uk/freechildcare .