Funded Hours

 To help support families, the government offers funded childcare hours to reduce the cost of early education. These funded hours allow your child to enjoy high-quality early learning while helping to make childcare more affordable for you. The funding is paid directly to the nursery, so there is no cash payment made to parents. 

Shropshire’s 24U funding offers 15 hours of funded childcare each week for eligible 2-year-olds Telford Council offer Talking 2's funding. This starts from the term after your child’s 2nd birthday. This funding helps families access high-quality early education while reducing childcare costs. 

Your child may be eligible if your family:

• Is on a low income
• Receives certain benefits
• Is looked after or was previously looked after
• Is under a special guardianship, adoption, or residence order
• Has a Special Educational Need (SEN) or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
• Receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

Eligibility is assessed by Shropshire Council, and parents can check their eligibility and apply directly through the website:

 Two-year-olds | Shropshire Council 

For Telford based Nurseries you can check your eligibility and apply through the Telford and Wrekin council website :
Telford & Wrekin Council | Funded childcare for children from 9 months to 4 years old 

 All children are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare each week, starting from the term after their 3rd birthday. This is called the universal entitlement and is available to every family, regardless of income or circumstances.

At Hazles Farm Childcare, this funding helps support your child’s learning and development while reducing the cost of childcare for your family.

Here’s what you need to know:

• All 3 and 4-year-olds are eligible for this funding.
• The funding covers 15 hours per week across 38 weeks of term time, but at Hazles Farm Childcare, we can stretch these hours across the whole year for added flexibility. How this works depends on your nursery, but most families access around 11.4 funded hours per week over 50 weeks. Your nursery team can advise you on the exact stretch for your child’s nursery.
• If your child needs to spend more time at nursery than the funded hours cover, that’s no problem. We offer additional non-funded hours to fit in with your schedule.
   

This way, your child benefits from consistent early learning, and you enjoy a flexible childcare solution that works for your family

Hazles Farm Childcare offers up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week for eligible working families. This funding is available from the term after your child turns 9 months old.

Who can apply:

• Parents should be working at least 16 hours per week (this includes sick leave or parental leave)
• Parents can be employed or self-employed
• Each parent must earn less than £100,000 per year
• You might still be eligible while claiming certain benefits
• If you live with a partner, both parents will need to apply
   

The funded hours are usually provided across 38 weeks of term time, but at Hazles Farm Childcare we can stretch these hours across the whole year. Depending on your nursery and local authority rules, this means your child can access up to 22 funded hours per week over 52 weeks.

If your child needs to spend more time at nursery than the funded hours allow, that’s no problem! We offer additional non-funded hours to fit around your schedule.

How to apply:
Parents must apply through the government’s website ( Free Childcare for Working Parents: Overview - GOV.UK ) and renew their eligibility code every 3 months to confirm their circumstances haven’t changed.

This extended funding helps families balance work and childcare while giving your child access to high-quality early learning in a flexible, supportive environment.