Funding Policy

We are committed to providing high-quality early education and childcare. We offer government-funded places to support families, promote early learning and help parents and carers into work. This policy explains how we deliver funded places in line with statutory guidance and Southwark Council's requirements, and how any additional charges work.

Funded entitlements we offer

9 to 23 months: 30 hours per week for eligible working families.
2-year-olds: 30 hours per week for eligible working families, or 15 hours per week for children with additional needs or from low-income families.
3 and 4-year-olds: 15 hours per week Universal Entitlement for all children, plus 15 extended hours (30 in total) for eligible working families.

Children become eligible from 1 January, 1 April or 1 August after they reach the required age.

Working Parent Entitlement (30 hours), 9 months to 4 years

Who is eligible: both parents (if applicable) must earn above the National Minimum Wage, and each must earn less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year.

How to apply: apply for an 11-digit eligibility code (usually starting 500 or 501) at gov.uk/apply-free-childcare-if-youre-working. Apply before the deadlines of 31 March, 31 August and 31 December, and reconfirm your code every three months. HMRC will send reminders, but please check your account regularly.

What we need from you: proof of your child's date of birth (birth certificate or passport), your 11-digit code, your National Insurance number, your consent for us to check your eligibility on the Local Authority portal, and a completed parent declaration form.

Grace periods and new codes: families in their grace period remain eligible at their current setting, but cannot start at a new setting until their code has been reconfirmed before the cut-off date. New or lapsed codes cannot be claimed until the next cut-off date. For example, a code confirmed on 2 January, after the 31 December cut-off, cannot be used until the summer term. Codes cannot be used once a child has started Reception. If your child is deferring entry to Reception, please speak to us the term before they are eligible to start school.

Universal Entitlement (15 hours), 3 and 4-year-olds

Please provide proof of your child's date of birth (birth certificate or passport) and complete the parent declaration form.

15 hours for 2-year-olds with additional needs or from low-income families

Check whether you meet the requirements at gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds. You must confirm your eligibility with Southwark Council, even if you live in a different borough. Please provide proof of your child's date of birth, your eligibility information and a completed parent declaration form.

If you are not eligible for free hours for any reason, our standard fees apply to any hours used during the term. For every entitlement, we will issue a contract setting out your funded hours and any additional fees.

How funded hours work at Rosiah Childcare

Funded hours are available Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6:30pm.
15 hours are offered as 2 sessions of 7.5 hours a week.
30 hours are offered as 3 sessions of 10 hours, or 4 sessions of 7.5 hours, a week.
Hours are agreed with you in your contract, based on availability.
Funding is offered term-time only, for a maximum of 38 weeks a year, following Southwark Council's term dates. We do not offer stretched (full-year) funding. Standard fees apply to any care during school holidays.
We may offer all or part of your funded hours, depending on availability. Please discuss this before signing a contract.

Government funding rules

Funding cannot exceed 570 or 1,140 hours per academic year.
Funded hours can only be used between 6:00am and 8:00pm, up to 10 hours a day and 15 or 30 hours a week.
Sessions are delivered in continuous blocks, without artificial breaks (for example, over lunchtime).
Children can attend a maximum of two settings per day.
Paying for consumables, activities or additional hours is never a condition of accessing a funded place.
No registration fees are charged for funded places. A refundable deposit may be requested.
Childminders cannot claim funding for children related to them by blood, marriage or civil partnership.

Booking a funded place

To reserve a place, please:

Provide a valid 11-digit eligibility code and your National Insurance number (for working-family funding).
Show an original identification document for your child, such as a birth certificate or passport.
Give written consent for Local Authority eligibility checks.
Complete a Local Authority parent declaration.
Complete and sign a contract before your place is confirmed.
Reconfirm your eligibility every three months. Failure to do so may mean losing your funding.

Additional charges and contributions

Government guidance states that funded hours must be free to parents, with no mandatory charges, and that funding is not intended to cover meals, consumables, additional hours or additional services.

Funded hours cover the core EYFS curriculum only. We may ask for optional contributions towards:

consumables (for example snacks, craft materials, wipes, nappies and sun cream)
non-food consumables for enhanced provision
extracurricular activities (for example music and outings)
additional hours beyond your funded sessions
late collection or late payment fees

You can opt out of these contributions. If you do, we will ask you to provide certain consumables, or your child may opt out of non-essential activities. If you provide your child's food, it must follow our healthy eating and allergy awareness policies. Prices are on our Pricelist.

Transparency and invoicing

From 1 January 2026, all invoices itemise funded hours separately from paid hours, along with any additional charges. If you need specific details for a Universal Credit claim, please let us know in advance.

Using funding at more than one setting

You can split funded hours between two providers, as long as your child does not attend more than two settings in one day. Any hours at another setting must be declared on the parent declaration form. For 30-hour funding, providers agree how the universal and extended hours are split. Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) goes to the provider claiming the universal hours.

Attendance and absences

Short absences (illness, holidays, emergencies) usually do not affect funding, but missed sessions cannot be made up at another time.
Late arrivals or early departures do not qualify for make-up sessions.
Regular non-attendance may lead to the Local Authority reclaiming funding. Absence of more than 4 weeks may result in the entitlement being withdrawn.
If your child regularly uses fewer hours than planned, we may review the pattern for the following term.
If you are found not to be entitled to the hours claimed (for example, by not declaring hours at another setting or not renewing a code), our standard hourly rate applies to the hours used that term.

Provider absences and holidays

If we are unavailable due to illness or a planned holiday, funding may not be claimed for that period. We may offer an alternative session where possible, but this is not guaranteed.

Support for children with SEND

We support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2014 and the Equality Act 2010. Families receiving Disability Living Allowance may be eligible for Disability Access Funding (DAF) to support additional resources, equipment or training.

Changes and notice

Changes to funded hours need at least four weeks' notice and an updated parent declaration. This includes changing the number of hours, days or setting, or a change in eligibility, such as moving from 15 to 30 hours. Mid-term changes may not always be accepted by the Local Authority. Additional charges and hours used are reviewed each term.

Compliance and complaints

We follow our Local Authority funding agreement and statutory guidance, and we will tell parents about any changes to government policy or funding rates. If you believe we are not following the funding rules:

Raise your concern with us directly.
If it is not resolved, contact the Local Authority.
If you are still unsatisfied, contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.