Find out if your child is eligible for free childcare and how to apply
Parents in Torbay are entitled to up to 15 hours a week funded childcare for all children aged three and four years old. This is known as Universal funding. It allows access to funded, good quality, flexible early education or childcare.
You can access this entitlement from the term after the child’s third birthday. No application form or eligibility code is required for the universal 15 hours. Children are automatically entitled once they meet the age criteria. Children are entitled to the equivalent of 570 hours per year. This can be accessed:
| Your child’s 3rd birthday | Becomes eligible for Universal funded hours from |
|---|---|
| 1 April to 31 August | Term starting on or after 1 September |
| 1 January to 31 March | Term starting on or after 1 April |
| 1 September to 31 December | Term starting on or after 1 January |
This can increase to up to 30 hours a week. This applies to parents who work and earn more than the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage, but less than £100,000 per year, known as the Working Parent entitlement.
Eligible working parents of children under the age of five-years-old will may be entitled to up to 30 hours a week funded childcare.
You can apply for 30 hours funded childcare from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks.
| Your child’s 3rd birthday | When you can get your 30 hours from | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September to 31 December | Term starting on or after 1 January | The term before 1 January |
| 1 January to 31 March | Term starting on or after 1 April | The term before 1 April |
| 1 April to 31 August | Term starting on or after 1 September | The term before 1 September |
| Both parents or lone parent need to be: • working the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum or Living Wage • expect to earn at least £61.92 a week if you’re under 18, £84.80 a week if you’re aged 18-20 or £52.80 a week if you’re an apprentice (either under 19 or in the first year of your apprenticeship) They must also: • live in England • expect to have income of less than £100,000 each a year Find further information on eligibility and details on how to apply |
The childcare provider must be of a certain standard to be authorised to offer funded childcare. In their most recent Ofsted report they must be rated either:
Please note that not all providers will be able to offer the full 15 hour, 38 week entitlement.
How you can use your funding entitlement
The hours you can book will depend on your chosen childcare provider. Usually, you will be asked to commit to the same weekly pattern of hours for each term. You will need to agree changes to these with them.
We do encourage providers to offer flexible free hours. You will however need to take the hours within their available sessions.
Your childcare provider may offer you the choice of attending:
All children are eligible from the term after their third birthday. See the table above. This carries on until they start primary school in reception class.
You do not need to complete an application form or provide an eligibility code for the universal 15-hour entitlement. This only applies to parents accessing funding for the 30 hours entitlement.
There are lots of providers of this service within Torbay. You can use any Ofsted registered childcare provider registered with us to receive early years funding. This could be at a:
You can find more information about Torbay Childcare Providers on the Family Hub
Your child’s first 15 or 30 hours of childcare each week are funded. You will need to pay for anything above this at the normal rates charged by the provider.
You may also be charged for any additional services you use. For example, hot lunches considered over and above the ‘normal’ nursery day. You should not have to take any of these extra services to receive your funded hours.
For example, your child attends a session of three hours (as part of your funded 15 hours). The children go for a swimming lesson that costs £5 in that time. You can be charged for the swimming lesson if you want your child to attend. However, your child should not have to attend this swimming lesson as a condition of them receiving their funded hours. There should be a free alternative available. This should allow your child to attend the session without this cost.
Any costs charged to you should be made clear on your invoice.
Within the sessions your provider offers, any hours between 6am and 8pm are potentially funded. The first 15 or 30 hours your child attends each week (between the hours of 6am and 8pm) will be the funded ones. The maximum a child can claim in one day is 10 hours. The child should not attend more than 2 providers on different sites in one day.
Children are eligible to receive this funding from the term after their 3rd birthday. This is until the end of the term before they start their place in primary school. For example, a child starting at primary school in September 2025 is eligible until the end of the summer term 2024.
Some people choose to delay or defer their child’s place at primary school. Early years funding can be used until the end of the term in which your child has their 5th birthday. For example, a child remains with an early year’s provider. They don't start school. Their 5th birthday is in July. They will get funding until the end of the summer term.
You must follow the formal admissions process to defer or delay entry to school.
It will be up to you how many funded hours your child receives at each provider. It is up to you how many funded hours your child receives at each provider. If you split your funded hours, you will only receive a maximum of 15 or 30 hours each week. The child cannot be funded for more than 10 hours per day. The child must not attend more than 2 different sites per day.
Families who meet certain eligibility criteria may be eligible for more funded hours. Find out more.