Funded childcare for foster carers
If you are a foster carer of a child you may be able to claim extra funded childcare hours.
Accessing funded childcare must be consistent with the foster child's care plan.
You should talk to your foster child's social worker before you claim funded childcare for a foster child.
Children do not have to take up the full funded childcare entitlement but we would encourage all children in foster care to access some of the funded hours where possible.
Children in foster care may be able to get 30 hours funded childcare per week (up to a maximum of 1140 hours per year).
You may be eligible if you (and your partner, if you have one) are working outside your fostering role.
Eligible children can access the place from the term after they reach 9 months old. This is in line with working families' entitlements.
All 2 year old children in foster care are eligible for 15 hours funded childcare per week (up to a maximum of 570 hours per year) from the term after their 2nd birthday up until they start school.
If you (and your partner, if you have one) are working outside your fostering role, you may be eligible for an additional 15 hours per week i.e. a total of 30 hours per week (up to a maximum of 1140 hours per year). This is in line with the working families' entitlements.
All 3 and 4 year old children in foster care are entitled to 15 hours universal funded childcare per week (up to a maximum of 570 hours per year).
If you (and your partner, if you have one) are working outside your fostering role, you may be eligible for an additional 15 hours per week i.e. 30 hours per week up to a maximum of 1140 hours per year. This is in line with the working families' entitlements.
Children can access the universal and working families' entitlements from the term after their 3rd birthday.
Eligibility
Eligibility for the 30 hours working families entitlement is dependent on the foster carer's circumstances.
Foster carers will usually be eligible if:
accessing the funded hours of childcare is consistent with the child's care plan and
foster carers (and partners, if they have one) are working outside of their role as a foster carer
There are no rules about the type of work or number of hours that foster carers must work. Work includes self-employment.
There is no minimum earnings limit for foster carers. The maximum income threshold is £100,000.
When to apply for foster carers working families entitlement
We recommend that you apply in good time so that we can process your application and issue you with your working families eligibility code.
If you do not receive your working families eligibility code by the dates below, you cannot access your extra hours until the start of the next term.
You can apply for your eligibility code when your foster child reaches 23 weeks old.
Your foster child can start in their childcare place the term after they reach 9 months old, providing you have received a valid eligibility code.
Child turns 9 months | You can access a place from | Must have eligibility code by |
|---|---|---|
1 September to 31 December | Term starting on or after 1 January | 31 December |
1 January to 31 March | Term starting on or after 1 April | 31 March |
1 April to 31 August | Term starting on or after 1 September | 31 August |
How to apply
To claim the 15 hours that all 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to, contact a childcare provider that offers this service.
To find out more about childcare providers see funded childcare for 3 and 4 year olds.
You may be able to get up to 30 hours a week if you meet the eligibility criteria for working foster carers.
30 hours childcare for working foster carers
If you are working outside your fostering role and meet the eligibility , follow the steps below to apply for 30 hours for children aged 9 months+:
1. Talk to your foster child's social worker
You should start to discuss funded childcare either:
as the child approaches becoming age eligible
or when you (or your partner, if you have one) decide to take up additional work
These discussions should normally happen as part of your usual supervision meetings and review process.
2. Complete the application form
The child's social worker must also sign the form and send it to us.
You will need to show the social worker evidence that you are in paid employment, such as recent pay slips or a tax return form.
3. Wait for your eligibility code
We will send you an 11-digit code by email to take to your chosen childcare provider.
Your code will have a start date and an end date. Make a note of the end date as this is when you will need to reconfirm your eligibility.
4. Reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months
To reconfirm your eligibility complete the following form:
The child's social worker will also need to sign this form and send it to us. They should be satisfied that:
the placement is ongoing
accessing the funded hours is still consistent with the child’s care plan
you are still engaging in paid work outside your role as a foster carer
We will notify you in advance to allow time for social workers to complete the reconfirmation application.
If you are no longer eligible speak to your childcare provider about the 'grace period'.
This is a set period of time to support you to continue accessing funded childcare while you look for other employment should you choose to do so.
Prospective adopters
Prospective adopters who are not registered foster carers, should apply through HMRC Best Start in Life website to access the 30 hours working families entitlements for children aged 9 months+:
This is in line with 'normal' working parent eligibility criteria which applies in these circumstances.
If you do not qualify for the working families entitlements you will still be able to access 15 hours a week from the term after the child's 2nd birthday, until they start school.