Bryncynon Community Revival Strategy
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What is the Childcare offer?
The Childcare Offer provides eligible working parents of three and four-year-olds with 30 hours per week of free early education and childcare for up to 48 weeks each year. This initiative includes both the existing Foundation Phase Nursery (FPN) provision available to all three and four-year-olds and additional funded childcare for qualifying families.
How Many Hours of Childcare Am I Eligible for?
Parents can receive a maximum of 30 hours of combined education and childcare. In RCT, children are already entitled to 15 hours of FPN education starting from the term after their third birthday. This means that eligible parents can access an additional 15 hours of childcare during term time.
It's important to note that parents do not have to utilise their early education entitlement in order to access the childcare component of the offer. Nevertheless, their entitlement will include these hours whether or not they choose to use them.
If your child's school provides full-time FPN, the term-time hours available through the Childcare Offer will be fulfilled by the FPN provision. However, you will still be eligible for 30 hours of childcare during the nine weeks of school holidays.
When Can I Access the Offer?
The Childcare Offer begins in the term following your child's third birthday and continues until the September after they turn four. Eligible parents can start utilising the childcare offer at any point during this timeframe, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. Parents can access the offer at any time during the term, provided their child was eligible from the beginning of that term or earlier. This includes families who may move into a pilot area or gain employment.
Please note that eligibility starts from the date specified in the confirmation letter you will receive from the Childcare Offer team once your application has been processed.
Who is Eligible for the Offer?
To qualify for the childcare component of the offer, parents and guardians must:
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Reside in a designated area.
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Be employed or self-employed and have permanent residency in Wales. In two-parent families, both parents must be working, while in lone-parent families, the sole parent must be working.
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Earn a minimum equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum wage (NMW) or national living wage (NLW) each week.
Parents will need to provide proof of working a minimum of 16 hours per week through their earnings. In cases where parents have separated but do not share equal custody, the parent with primary custody is eligible for the offer if they meet the criteria. If custody is shared equally, one parent must be designated as the lead parent for the offer.
All adults in the household, including parents, guardians, step-parents, and live-in partners, must meet the eligibility requirements for the child to access the offer.
What Happens If I or My Partner Loses our Job?
If a parent loses eligibility, a temporary exemption period of eight weeks will be granted, allowing them to continue accessing the offer during that time.
Parents temporarily absent from work due to sickness or parental leave (including maternity leave, statutory shared parental leave, or adoption leave) will remain eligible, as they are still considered employed.
If one parent meets the eligibility criteria while the other is receiving specific benefits, the child will still qualify for the offer. These benefits include:
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Incapacity Benefit
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Carer’s Allowance
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Severe Disablement Allowance
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Long-Term Incapacity Benefit
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Employment and Support Allowance
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National Insurance credits based on incapacity for work or limited capability for work
However, families where both parents receive any of the above benefits will not qualify for the offer.
Family and friends carers (also known as kinship carers) who have taken on the responsibility of caring for a child or stepchild—either because the child has no parents or the parents are unable to care for them—can access the offer if they meet the earnings criteria, live in a pilot area, and are caring for a child of the appropriate age.
Exceptions to Eligibility
Yes, you can utilise up to two registered childcare settings each day, in addition to their FPN setting.
Can I use more than One Childcare Provider?
Can I Accrue My Hours
No, an accrual or banking system will not be available, Parents will receive a total of 30 hours per week of combined FPN provision and childcare, choosing how much of the 30 hours to utilise. Any unused hours in a week will be lost.
How Will the Offer Work Outside of Term
The childcare offer is designed to cover up to 48 weeks per year. While Foundation Phase Nursery Provision is available for up to 39 weeks, eligible parents can access 30 hours of childcare during the remaining nine weeks of the year.
Parents can choose when to use their nine weeks of holiday provision, but it is their responsibility to find a provider that best meets their needs.
