Funded childcare places

Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) Funding

There are two ways that eligible parents and carers can access 2-year FEEE funding. Please see the funding streams below to determine which one will apply to you:

1. Working Parent Entitlement

From April 2024, the government will be expanding the current ‘Working Parent Entitlement’ childcare offer in three phases:

1. From April 2024 - working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 FEEE hours (570 hours per year).
2. From September 2024 - working parents of children aged 9 months old will be able to access 15 FEEE hours (570 hours per year).
3. From September 2025 - working parents of children aged 9 months old will be able to access 30 FEEE hours (1,140 hours per year).

Parents and carers are entitled to use their 570 or 1,140 hours over 38 weeks of the year (term time) or some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over more weeks, using fewer hours claimed per week.

What is the eligibility criteria?

You, and any partner, must expect to earn (on average) at least £167 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage).

If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity, or adoption leave, or you’re unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.

You can’t get either 15 or 30 hours childcare if you, or your partner, each individually expect to earn £100,000 adjusted net income or more.

How can parents check if they are eligible?

You can check your eligibility and get further information on the scheme online.

If you have any questions or are having difficulties in applying, please call the HMRC on 0300 123 4097.

2. Families receiving some additional forms of government support

What is the eligibility criteria?

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and are in receipt of the following benefits:

• Income support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
• Tax credits and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

2-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:

• •    are looked after by a local authority
• •    have a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• •    get Disability Living Allowance
• •    have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

Non-EEA citizens who cannot claim benefits

Your 2-year-old may get free childcare if you are getting support under the Immigration and Asylum Act and have either:

• claimed asylum in the UK and are waiting for a decision (known as ‘part 6’)
• been refused asylum in the UK (known as ‘section 4’)

A 2-year-old you care for may also get free childcare if your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, and you have either:

• leave to remain with no recourse to public funds on family or private life grounds
• the right to live in the UK because you’re the main carer of a British citizen (known as a ‘Zambrano Carer’)

How can parents check if they are eligible?

You can check your eligibility using the Leicestershire's Parent Portal

For help on how to create a Parent Portal account and if you wish to apply via the SEN route, please see the user guides below:

Application process for families receiving some additional forms of government support

Once you have registered and signed in with the Parent Portal, you will be able to submit your application.

Child's birthday and when they can claim FEEE

If your child is eligible, you can start claiming the FEEE from the period / term after they turn 2-years old. The start date that you can claim from will depend on when your child's birthday is:

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please call our 2 Year Old Funding Helpline on 0116 305 6208