How to use your 30 hours childcare for working families

You can use our childcare search to look for providers who offer this service.

To offer this service, providers must be registered with Ofsted and not be judged to be inadequate. They must also sign our funding agreement.

We cannot fund any other types of care, including family arrangements. If a relative or friend looks after your child during the week, they can't be paid for this entitlement.

We recommend you choose a provider graded 'good' or 'outstanding' by Ofsted. In Lancashire almost all the childminders and nurseries are rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. You can see their latest inspection grade and report on the Ofsted website. You can also arrange visits before you take up a place to make sure that you and your child are happy.

All our nurseries and childminders welcome children from a wide range of backgrounds. They will be happy to discuss how best to meet any cultural, religious and dietary needs you or your child may have.

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If eligible, you'll get an online childcare account and a childcare code.

You'll need to give the code to your provider along with:

• your National Insurance number

• your child's date of birth

You must sign in to your GOV.UK childcare account every 3 months to reconfirm your details.

You’ll get a reminder when it’s time. If your code expires your 15 hours childcare entitlement will end.

If you fall out of eligibility you will enter what is known as the grace period. This is a set period of time to support you to continue accessing funded childcare to allow time to look for other employment if you choose to. Your provider will be able to tell you if you are in a grace period.

If for any reason you are no longer eligible for 30 hours you should speak to your childcare provider about the grace period.

The total hours that you can access across a year are shown below.

• 1,140 hours per year

• 30 hours a week over 38 weeks

• 22.35 hours over 51 weeks

• 21.90 hours per week for 52 weeks

You should speak to your childcare provider about how they offer the funded hours and think about what works for you.

When you speak with a childcare provider they will be able to explain these rules to you, or you can contact our Family Information Service.

The funded place can be taken over a lunch break, if this is offered by your provider. Your provider may offer a meal at an additional cost; some providers may allow you to provide your child with a packed lunch, but not all providers will due to allergens.

Any charges for additional services whilst accessing the funded hours must be optional and providers must offer reasonable alternatives which may mean waiving the charge if they do not allow parents to supply a packed lunch. 

The provider will work with you to consider your child's needs, your preferred hours/days, and the sessions where they currently have vacancies. They will do their best to give you the hours you want, but it is their decision on how they offer the funded entitlements based on availability of days and times.  

If after talking it through, the provider is unable to take your child at the times you want, you will need to find another provider.

The funded hours can be split across two registered providers. If your child attends two providers, you must complete a 'Parental Agreement' for both providers. The agreement must contain accurate information about the number of hours your child attends at each provider. The funding hours will then be split across both providers.

The council funds each early education and childcare provider on a termly basis. If you move your child within term to a different childcare provider you may not be able to claim funded hours at the new childcare provider. You will need to discuss this with your existing childcare provider to see whether they are willing to transfer any of the funding to the new childcare provider. They are not obliged to do this as it is at their discretion. Please check before you move your child.

This also applies if you want to move your child to a maintained nursery from a private day nursery or vice versa.

If your child is unwell, you are not able to claim back any funded hours that your child has been unable to attend due to illness. The funded hours will be used to keep your child's place open for their return. If your child is unwell and unable to attend for more than four weeks, please contact your provider to discuss your child's place.

If your child is unable to attend due to a family holiday, their funded hours will normally be used to keep their funded place open until they return. Alternatively, if you discuss your holiday with your childcare provider, you may be able to pay a retainer to keep your child’s place open. This may mean that your child can receive their funded hours later in the term. This would be at the discretion of your provider and they are under no obligation to offer this.

You should not be charged for the funded place. Lancashire County Council pays the provider directly for your child's funded place and if your child doesn't get any additional hours there should not be a registration fee.

The provider may ask you to pay a deposit to secure your funded place, but this must be refunded to you within 4 weeks of your child starting.  If your child does not take up the place the deposit is non-refundable.

If, however you choose to take up any additional hours or services from your provider, you will be charged accordingly for these and they may charge a registration fee. Please discuss this with your provider.

If you are using a provider that is open for more than 38 weeks, you will be charged for any additional time that your child attends.

If you are no longer eligible for this offer you will still get 15 hours childcare for children aged 3-4 years. All 3 and 4-year-olds who live in England are entitled to this offer irrespective of income levels, benefit status, or family circumstances.

If you're not sure whether your child is receiving all of their funded hours, check the invoice you get from your provider.

They should provide you with a clear invoice and you should be confident about how your fees have been calculated.

If you're concerned, arrange to speak to your provider who should be able to explain your fees. If you're still concerned, email the Early Education Funding Team at fee234@lancashire.gov.uk.