Funding for the Early Years and Childcare Entitlement
Childcare funded entitlements
Childcare Choices
The Department for Education has developed a range of funding streams which enable children to access high quality childcare provisions. Find out more at Childcare Choices.
Checking eligibility for 2 years olds
Parents can see if their child is eligible by using the Citizen Portal. Alternatively, they can ask their childcare provider to carry out the check for them using the Provider Portal, or the provider can contact the Families Information Service on 01204 332170.
Early years funding rates 2025/2026
Please see below current rates.
The Early Years Funding Rate Briefing Document 2025-2026 sets out the detail of early years funding rates for 2025-2026, as presented at the Schools Forum on Friday 17th January, and formally approved at the Executive Member meeting for Children's Services on Tuesday 4th February 2025.
If you have any questions, please email Early Years Finance at earlyyearsfinance@bolton.gov.uk
Accessing out of borough childcare
Sometimes parents want their child to go to a childcare provider in another authority, to make it easier for them to get to work for example.
Funding can be accessed in any borough; it is the duty of the provider to report this on their headcount. This is a local agreement between authorities.
If a child from outside of Bolton wants to access their funding in a Bolton provision, it is advised that providers ask the parents if the child is accessing their funding anywhere else, prior to registering the child. This can be done by using the Parent Declaration form.
Further background checks will be undertaken by the Local Authority to ensure that children from other boroughs are not accessing funding elsewhere. Payments may need to be reimbursed from providers should an error be found or if a child is found to be accessing funding hours from another setting.
Rising Threes
Children in their last term before they become a funded three year old (i.e. the term of their third birthday) are known as 'rising threes'. Rising three children are not automatically eligible for any funded early education places. Funding can only be claimed if the child has had a successful eligibility check for two year old funding and/or a Working Parent code issued.
If a nursery does provide early education for a ‘rising three’ child who does not meet the criteria of the two year old funding or the working parent funding, they will either need to fund these hours themselves, or charge the parent up to the point of the child becoming a funded three year old. Where rising three children are in a provision, staffing ratios for two year olds needs to be applied.
Funding for any rising three children who have had a successful two year old eligibility check can be claimed through the headcount.
Tax Free Childcare
Tax-free childcare offers parents’ financial support towards their childcare costs. For every £8 a parent pays in, the government will add an extra £2. Parents can receive up to £2,000 or £4,000 for a disabled child.
Eligible parents entering the scheme will open an online childcare account that they can use to pay providers for childcare. When parents set up their account, they will receive an 11 digit reference number, which will show on the provider’s banking as a reference for the parent’s payment. To sign up to receive payments through the scheme, click the following link:
Eligibility
- Parents who are working and earning the equivalent to 16 hours on the National Minimum or Living Wage with children under 12 (or under 17 for disabled children).
- If either parent is on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or is unable to work because they are disabled or have caring responsibilities, they could still be eligible.
Sign up to offer tax-free childcare
For newly registered providers An email invite will be automatically generated to the provider to sign up for the tax free childcare, once HMRC have received registration confirmation.
For established providers Please use the following link to sign up to offer tax-free childcare: https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/ccp/signup/entrypage
Contact details
Early Years Finance Bolton
Email: earlyyearsfinance@bolton.gov.uk