ÖйúPÕ¾

Some childcare providers offer 15 or 30 hours a week for 38 weeks a year. The hours may be at set times and sessions.

Some offer a stretched option with fewer less hours a week over more weeks of the year. (For example, 22.8 hours a week for 50 weeks).

Limits:

• Not before 6am or after 8pm
• Maximum 10 hours per day
• Maximum 570 hours a year (for 15-hour offer)
• Maximum 1,140 per year (for 30-hour offer)
• No more than two sites per day

Important: Always check your provider’s session times and read terms and conditions.

Provider rules

You can use as many funded hours as you need to meet your childcare needs.

However, some providers may set rules about how you use these hours. They might:

• ask you to use a minimum number of hours each week
• limit how many funded hours you can use in one day

This means you may need to use a certain number of hours to attend a particular setting.

You can split your 15 hours (like 9 hours at a nursery and 6 with a childminder).

Mixing term-time and stretched offers may reduce total hours – check with your provider.

When your child starts using funded hours you fill in a declaration form. It is how your provider claims your child’s funding.

To get your funding, you complete this at the start, and every funded period after.

How to complete the declaration form

You usually commit to a provider for the whole funded period.

You may be able to move the funding to another provider if:

• You move and can’t travel to your current childcare provider
• Your job changes and hours no longer work
• You stated on your declaration form that your child will leave during the funded period, and the last day to claim the funded hours
• Your provider gets an inadequate Ofsted rating
• Your provider closes or is suspended

If your child leaves a provider mid-year, they may not receive all their funded hours.

Notice periods

Check your contract to find out how much notice you need to give. This might be different for funded hours and hours you pay for.

You still need to follow the terms and conditions for any hours you pay for yourself. Make sure you understand what your contract says.

Providers may charge for meals, snacks, trips, or extra activities

Any extra charges must be:

• optional
• clearly listed on your invoice
• not a 'top-up' to funded hours (they can't charge you the difference between their usual fee and the funding they get).

Providers should explain any charges before you agree to a place and offer an alternative to extra costs.

Unsure about charges?

Speak to your provider.

Still unsure or want to check your invoice?

Email: eycommissioningteam@surreycc.gov.uk

Funding usually ends when your child starts reception (September after your child is 4).

You may still receive funding until age 5 if:

• You defer school start by a year (only for summer-born children)
• Your child attends an independent school