LITTLE STARS PRE SCHOOL
Government Funding Information
All children are entitled to 15 hours per week of funded childcare the term after they turn 3 years old.
This is called ‘Universal’ funding. Some families, depending on their working status, may be eligible for more; these hours are the ‘Extended’ funding hours and increase your weekly entitlement from 15 to 30 hours per week. Funded hours are available for the term time (38 weeks) of the year.
At Little Stars Pre School, we are open for the term time weeks of the year.
HOW TO CLAIM:
Around a child’s third birthday, parents and carers will be asked to complete a ‘Parental Declaration’ and return it to the Little Stars office. This document is an agreement between the parent and carer, Little Stars – the setting and BCP Council, the funding provider.
Funding cannot be claimed by Little Stars without this document, and we require the form to be completed and signed prior to claiming funding. We also ask for proof of the child’s date of birth, by way of passport or birth certificate.
‘Extended’ funded hours must also be applied for online, via the website below. This is an application that must be made by the parent/carer and cannot be completed by Little Stars. For further details please see below:
Government: Childcare Choices →
Your eligibility for the ‘Extended’ funded hours must be reconfirmed every three months in order to maintain it. Again, this must be completed by the parent/carer and cannot be completed by Little Stars.
Access to funded hours:
Little Stars requires that children attend a minimum of two sessions per week. Any surplus funded hours can be used through-out the term.
Additional hours on top of funded hours:
Most children attend Little Stars for more than just the funded hours. In this instance, we ask for a deposit and enrolment fee – please see the payment terms for more details. If a child is eligible for funding, Little Stars will take this into account and a reduced deposit will apply.
Attending more than 1 setting:
If a child attends another setting and they share the funded hours between the two, Little Stars requires the details of the second setting and the amount of hours the child attends in order to allocate the funding from BCP Council.
Consumables Charge:
For children that receive funded hours, the Little Stars invoices show a separate charge for each session of ‘Consumables’. This is to cover costs that are not included within the curriculum. These include: Breakfast, a light tea, snacks, Tapestry Journal Subscription, craft materials, cookery materials, messy play resources, nursery events and disposables such as wet wipes, tissues, aprons, gloves, soap, anti-bacterial gel (items that you would use at home for your child). This is not an exhaustive list.
2-Year-old Funding: BCP Council also offer funded hours for two-year-old children with a specific criterion. Please use the following link to see if you could apply:
