Kindred Nurseries - Our Guide to Funded Childcare
We know choosing a nursery is a big decision and understanding how funding works can feel a little overwhelming at first. The great news is that there is a wide range of government support available to help make high quality early education more affordable for your family. Whether you are a first time parent or navigating new entitlements, there is likely a scheme that can work for you. To make things easier, we have pulled everything together in one place, clearly explained and simply laid out.
New to government funding? Why not take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Fees and Funding first.
30 hours funded childcare for eligible working families
When should I apply?
| When your child turns 9 months: | When you can get your hours from: | When you should apply: |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Jan - 31st March | Term starting on or after 1st April | Ideally before end of Feb. Deadline 31st March |
| 1st Apr - 31st Aug | Term starting on or after 1st Sept | Ideally before end of July. Deadline 31st Aug |
| 1st Sep - 31st Dec | Term starting on or after 1st Jan | Ideally before end of Nov. Deadline 31st Dec |
9 months to School age
If you live and work in England you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns 9 months old, until they start school. We can offer your government entitlement of 1140 hours per year (38 weeks x 30 hours) on an all year round offer allowing your child to attend our setting for 51 Weeks. Your maximum funding entitlement per week will be 22.35 hours (1140 hours ÷ 51 weeks).
You may be eligible for this if both parents (or the sole parent in a single-parent household) are:
- in work or starting a new job and earning at least the National Minimum Wage
- on sick leave or annual leave
- on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave
Don’t worry if you don’t meet the Government’s working family criteria, your child will still be entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare from the term after their 3rd birthday.
If you wish to use your entitlements later than the term after your child turns the relevant age, you can apply closer to the time you wish to start. Provided you still meet the eligibility criteria for that entitlement at that time, you will not lose your ability to apply.
15 hours universal funded childcare for all families in England
3 years to School Age
All 3 and 4-year-olds who live in England are entitled to this offer, irrespective of income levels, benefit status, or family circumstances. This entitles families to up to 570 funded hours per year (38 weeks x 15 hours) on an all year round offer allowing your child to attend our setting for 51 Weeks. Your maximum funding entitlement per week will be 11.17 hours (570 hours ÷ 51 weeks).
Because this offer is for all families, you do not need to apply as your child will automatically receive these hours from the term after they turn 3.
When should I apply?
| When your child turns 3: | When you will receive your hours from: |
|---|---|
| 1st Jan - 31st March | Term starting on or after 1st April |
| 1st April - 31st Aug | Term starting on or after 1st Sept |
| 1st Sept- 31st Dec | Term starting on or after 1st Jan |
Find your nearest funded place at Kindred Nurseries
How can I apply?
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Check if you're eligible
Find out whether you meet the Government criteria.
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Check when to apply
You'll need to apply the term before you want to start using your funded hours.
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Apply for your childcare code*
If you're eligible you'll be given an online childcare account and a code for your funded hours. If you're using Tax-Free Childcare, you'll receive your code after reconfirming your entitlement.
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Share your code with us*
Send us your code along with your National Insurance Number and your child's date of birth. We'll check that everything is valid and ready to go.
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Complete your parent declaration form
We've made this process quick and easy by using Funding Loop, our secure digital system for funding forms.
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Start using your 15 or 30 hours
We'll claim the funding directly from your Local Authority and apply it to your invoice.
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Reconfirm every 3 months
You'll need to reconfirm your details every 3 months to keep your code active. Don't worry you'll get a reminder when it's time.
*Please note: Steps 3 and 4 aren't required if you're only claiming the Universal Entitlement (15 hours for children aged 3 and over)
Tax-Free Childcare
Tax Free Childcare is quite literally what it says on the tin: a government scheme designed to help working parents with childcare costs. With this scheme, the government pitches in £2 for every £8 you spend on childcare, up to a maximum of £2,000 per year per child (or £4,000 if your child has a disability). The best part? You can combine Tax-Free Childcare with all other funding options to further reduce your nursery expenses.
For every 80p parents pay in, the government will pay 20p up to £2000* per year per child, to contribute to the cost of childcare.
*This increases to £4000 per year for children with additional educational needs.
Meals, Enrichment and Other Charges
At Kindred, we are committed to ensuring that every child has everything they need for a safe, healthy and fulfilling day. That’s why we provide all the essential items to support their wellbeing, comfort and learning. This forms part of our high-quality care and plays a vital role in helping children build strong foundations to grow, develop and thrive.
By opting into our nursery consumables charge, families benefit from a convenient, all-inclusive experience where everything is taken care of. It enables us to offer meaningful and enriching opportunities - full of awe and wonder that goes beyond standard government funding.
Government funding is designed to deliver free, high-quality childcare. It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, drinks, snacks, nappies, and other consumables, additional hours, or enrichment activities. To support this, a consumables charge is applied to funded sessions - contributing towards the many resources your child uses and benefits from each day.
This charge is carefully broken down into three areas, all detailed over the following pages, so you can see exactly how we support your child’s nursery journey every step of the way.
To keep things as all-inclusive and convenient as possible, everything listed below is included within your nursery fees and consumables charge (where applicable) as standard. If you would prefer your child not to access consumables alongside their funded hours, please refer to our Nursery Consumables Policy and provide one full term’s written notice, received no later than the working day before the new term begins. Your nursery manager will then guide you through the next steps.
Food Consumables
We know that developing healthy eating habits from an early age is essential. Our menus are well-balanced and nutritious, ensuring children are well-fed and nourished throughout the day. These meals are designed to promote healthy eating habits and shared mealtimes that foster social confidence and curiosity.
Our food consumables charge will cover the cost of the following meals during your child’s day with us:
- Breakfast
- Lunch (two courses)
- Tea (two courses)
- Snacks (morning & afternoon)
All meals are freshly prepared on site by our chefs and practitioners, with allergens and dietary needs being carefully monitored and managed. Providing consistent meals to all children in attendance supports our ethos for safety and inclusion.
Non-food Consumables
We value the importance of meeting each child’s individual needs while ensuring they feel safe and secure in our nurseries. To make life easier for families and create an all-inclusive experience, we provide all essential daily items. This ensures comfort, hygiene, and safety, and allows us to meet every child’s needs reliably and consistently.
We will work with you to ensure that we meet your child/ren’s specific needs.Our non-food consumables charge will cover the cost of the following items:
- Bed Linen
- Sun cream
- Downloadable learning journal
- Nappies/wipes/nappy cream
- Resources for celebrations & events outside the EYFS curriculum
Enrichment Activities
We believe that giving children rich and varied learning opportunities from an early age enhances their overall development. Our enrichment programme is designed to spark curiosity, nurture a love of learning, and provide experiences they may not encounter outside the nursery. These additional opportunities support creativity, curiosity, and holistic development, enabling every child to thrive.
Therefore, our enrichment activities consumables charge will cover the following:
- External enrichments, including Physical Activity, STEM & Wellbeing*
- Local trips
- Visiting guests
*we offer a tailored enrichment programme at each of our nurseries, should Parents/Carers wish to have more information on what there is on offer, speak to your nursery manager.
Discounts at Kindred Nurseries
At Kindred we want to support families as much as we can, so we are pleased to tell you that alongside the government funding options, we also offer these special discounts for Kindred families:
- Sibling Discount: 5% off all regular booking sessions
- Services (Fire, Police, NHS and Educators): 5% off all regular booking sessions
- HM Forces: 5% off all regular booking sessions
Every family is different, so whatever your childcare needs, please don’t hesitate to come and talk to us. We’ll help you understand how the different schemes work and put together a package that makes the decision easier, and more affordable for you.
Useful Links
Funded Childcare Hours: What you need to know
A clear, practical guide to understanding the timeline, eligibility and options for accessing funded childcare, including how Kindred complements government provision with additional support.
The official UK Government hub providing clear information on all their childcare support schemes, including the 15‑hour universal entitlement, the expanded 30‑hour entitlement for eligible working families, Tax‑Free Childcare, Universal Credit childcare, school‑aged wraparound care, and more.
These documents outline Kindred Nurseries’ consumables policy, explaining what the charge covers and why it is applied. It is designed to provide clarity for families accessing government-funded childcare hours.
Our Home-Provided Meals Policy
Our Home-Provided Meals Guidelines
These documents outline Kindred Nurseries’ policy and guidelines for families who choose to provide their child’s meals from home. It includes important information on food safety, nutritional requirements, and restricted items to help ensure the wellbeing of all children in our care.