Free 30 hours free childcare
The government will soon be rolling out 30 hours a week of government funded childcare for eligible working parents of 3 and 4 year olds in Carmarthenshire. Llanelli will be included along with other towns in the area to provide this much needed support for hard working parents. This is expected to begin in January 2019. I've detailed some information for parents interested in the new scheme below.
If you are a parent interested and seeking 30 free hours of childcare in Llanelli, please feel free to contact me.
call me on 01554 229787
or email katysteele@live.co.uk
or check out my website http://childminderllanelli.wixsite.com/home
or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/buildingblockschildminder
FAQs for parents in new pilot areas starting January 2019.
What is the childcare offer?
The childcare offer will provide eligible working parents with a combined 30 hours of early education and childcare for 3 and 4 year olds, for up to 48 weeks per year.
What does it mean for me as a parent?
If you have a 3 or 4 year old you are entitled to access a minimum of 10 hours per week of early education for your child during school terms (sometimes known as Foundation Phase Nursery). If you’re working, and you live in one of our pilot areas, you could also receive additional hours of government-funded childcare, so that you receive a combined total of 30 hours of childcare and early education per week for up to 48 weeks a year, The 48 weeks is made-up of 39 weeks of combined education and childcare during school term-time and 9 weeks of ‘holiday’ provision outside of school terms when the entitlement is to 30 hours of childcare.
What is early education?
All children are entitled to early education (Foundation Phase Nursery) from the term after their 3rd birthday. All local authorities provide a minimum of 10 hours per week early education, either in the local school or in a setting like a playgroup, a day nursery or a Cylch Meithrin . During term time, this early education will be part of the childcare offer’s 30 hours. During the school holidays, when there is no early education, the offer will provide 30 hours a week of childcare for eligible parents, for up to 9 weeks.
How will I know if I’m eligible?
All parents of 3 and 4 year olds can access the early education entitlement. You are eligible to receive the additional childcare if you live within a pilot area, have a child within the age range and earn on average a weekly minimum equivalent to, or more than, 16 hours at national minimum wage (NMW) or national living wage (NLW) but less than £100,000 per year. If you are in a lone parent family you need to be working and if you are in a two parent family you both need to be working. If you are self-employed or on a zero hours contract you need to be able to prove this by providing the relevant documents.
