Help With Fees

There are a number of schemes available to help with fees.

Our unique offer! Up to thirty hours per week free Pre-school education!
Many two year olds and all children from the term after their third birthday are entitled to 15 hours of free nursery education during school term time.

In the final year before school, if you take your 15 hours free funded sessions between 9am and 3pm, we match the government's funding so your child can attend up to five days per week 9am to 3pm for free during school term time (lunches £2). We believe our matched funding offer is unique to the Centre and has had a profound effect on the educational attainment of our pre-school group.

Childcare Vouchers
These are a salary sacrifice scheme offered by many employers that can reduce your tax and National Insurance contributions. Both parents can deduct up to £243 per month from their salary before other deductions. The vouchers come in both paper and electronic format and once they have been submitted their value is deducted from your childcare costs. If you receive tax credits the amount your are eligible for may be affected by using childcare vouchers. To check how this will affect you and for more information there is a free online calculator at www.hmrc.gov.uk/calcs/ccin.htm.

Tax Credits
Tax credits are available as financial support towards the cost of childcare for some families in the form of Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits. To find out if you are eligible for tax credits visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/TAXCREDITS/start/who-qualifies/index.htm or call the Tax Credit helpline on 0845 300 3900. The amount you can claim as tax credits may be affected if you also use childcare vouchers. HMRC have a useful 'better off calculator' at www.hmrc.gov.uk/calcs/ccin.htm - use this to identify if you are one of those that will be worse off by getting childcare vouchers.

Free Childcare for two year olds
Some two year olds can also get free early education and childcare to help them learn, play together with friends and experience new activities. This allows you to have more time, take up a college course, go back to work or get ideas of of how to help your child play and learn.

Your child will be eligible if they:

• has a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education health and care plan
• gets Disability Living Allowance
• have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order

They are also eligible if you get one of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income not over £16,190
• the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Working Tax Credits and earn £16,190 a year or less

To check you are eligible please contact North Yorkshire’s Families Information Service:

• Email: fis.information@northyorks.gov.uk
• Telephone: 0845 601 1630
• Mobile: send a text with the word “info” to 07624 802425

You can start claiming from the beginning of the term after your child turns two years old. Please speak to Caroline for this year's dates.

Application forms are available to download here, by asking us at the Centre, in Upper Wharfedale and Skipton Children's Centre or local GP surgeries

Teenage Parents
Teenage parents still in full time education are able to claim financial support from the Care to Learn scheme. Currently the scheme will pay up to £160 a week and all payments are made directly to the nursery. For more information about Care to Learn visit: www.gov.uk/care-to-learn.

Students
Through the Childcare Grant, full-time higher education students with children in registered childcare could receive financial support for up to 85% of childcare costs - this is dependent on a number of factors. For more information on the Childcare Grant visit www.gov.uk.

Additional financial help for low income families
Childcare support is available for low income families. See www.gov.uk