Take Off funding for 9 month to 4 year olds

Eligibility criteria

If you are a working parent and your child is 9 months and above, you might be eligible for 570 hours of funded early learning childcare.

The term after your child turns 3 years, all children are eligible for 570 hours per year. If you a working parent, you may be eligible for an additional 570 hours of funded early learning childcare giving you a total of 1140 hours for your 3 to 4 year old.

Minimum eligible wage for Take Off funding is different for different age groups. Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least:

• £2,167 if you’re aged 23 or over
• £2,117 if you’re aged 21 or 22
• £1,557 if you’re aged 18 to 20
• £1,098 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice

This is the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week on average.

If either of you earn £100,000 or more per year, you will not be eligible for Take Off funding. 

You can check your eligibility and apply for your code up to 16 weeks before your child is due to start. Your eligibility code must be revalidated every 3 months otherwise you will lose your funding.

• If your child turns 9 months old in the summer term, on or before the 31 August then, if you are eligible, you will receive your funding in the autumn term starting in September.
• If your child turns 9 months old in the autumn term, on or before the 31 December then if you are eligible, you will receive your funding in the spring term starting in January.
• If your child turns 9 months old in the spring term, on or before the 31 March then if you are eligible, you will receive your funding in the spring term starting in April.

How to apply

Childcare providers offer many different funding models. You will need to speak to your childcare provider to find out what combination of fee paying and funded childcare sessions they offer.

Your child’s place using the funded early years childcare is funded by the Government, however other small costs could be:

• your child’s lunch
• a registration or administration fee
• extra hours due to the pattern of attendance.

We recommend that these extras are confirmed in writing before you take up your child’s place. Some providers may let you bring a packed lunch if the cost of their lunch is a barrier to you taking a place.

Please note, when applying for funding codes on the Government website, you must apply before their cut off dates and that you must revalidate your 11-digit code every 3 months or you will lose your childcare funding!

Codes must have a start date on or before:

31 March to start in summer term - April
31 August to start in autumn term - September
31 December to start in spring term – January

Apply online

Eligibility criteria for foster parents

If you are a working foster parent and your foster child is 9 months or older, you might be eligible for 570 hours of funded early learning childcare. 

The Department for Education (DfE) guidance explains the criteria and process for foster parents in paid employment which is additional to their fostering duties. 

• Agreement from the responsible local authority that the foster parent engaging in paid work outside their role as a foster parent is consistent with the child’s care plan. The agreement that the foster parents can take up the funded childcare entitlement should be recorded and the care plan for the child should be updated as appropriate. 
• That, in single-parent foster families, the foster parent engages in paid work outside their role as a foster parent, although there is no minimum income requirement. 
• And in two parent foster families, either both partners engage in paid work outside their role as a foster parent (although there is no minimum income requirement for either foster parent) or one partner engages in paid work and the other partner receives certain qualifying benefits. 
• If one partner is not a foster parent, then that partner must be in qualifying paid work and earn a minimum of the equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum, unless they are receiving certain qualifying benefits. The Eligibility Checking System (ECS) is unable to perform the additional eligibility checks required so the department has developed a parallel application process that uses existing delivery arrangements wherever possible. If one partner is not a foster parent, then that partner must be in qualifying paid work and earn a minimum of the equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum, unless they are receiving certain qualifying benefits. 

The initial application form needs to be completed by the foster parents for new children and countersigned by the child’s social worker so that eligibility for the working parent entitlement can be checked by the Childcare and Families Information Team before a voucher code is issued. 

Please note, when applying as a foster parent for the funding code with the Childcare and Families Information Team, you must apply before the Government cut off dates.

Codes must have a start date on or before:

31 March to start in Summer term - April
31 August to start in Autumn term - September
31 December to start in Spring term - January

Once a voucher code has been issued, the foster parents will then need to complete the revalidation form and get this countersigned by the child’s social worker every 3 months to continue receiving the fostered child’s funded early learning childcare. 

Application process for prospective adoptive parents

When a previously looked-after child has been placed with the prospective adoptive parent/s but the formal adoption order has not yet been granted by the courts, the parent/s are no longer considered to be the child’s foster parents.

The adoption agency (the relevant local authority) must notify the prospective adopter/s in writing of the date on which the child is placed for adoption with them. This is the adoption placement order.

If they wish to apply for the working parent entitlement, the prospective adopter/s must apply online through the Childcare Service rather than with the local authority as they can no longer apply using the foster parent route. If they do not hold the child’s birth certificate, they can provide HMRC with the adoption placement order from the adoption agency during the application process.

As with other parents, they must meet the eligibility criteria for the working parent entitlement, including the minimum income requirement and the requirement to reconfirm with the Childcare Service every 3 months. This remains the same when the adoption order is granted by the court.

When does a Take Off funded early learning childcare place start?

If you meet the working parent eligibility criteria, your child can start the term after they turn 9 months or older:

• If your child's birthday falls between 1  January and 31 March, they are eligible in the summer term after they turn 9 months old.
• If your child's birthday falls between 1 April and 31 August, they are eligible in the autumn term after they turn 9 months old.
• If your child's birthday falls between 1 September and 31 December, they are eligible in the spring term after they turn 9 months old.

Getting a place

Have a look at our childcare directory to see all the providers offering Take Off funded places in your area.

Search the Childcare Directory

If you have a question or comment regarding finding suitable childcare, please contact us online.