Welcome to the Fees & Funding page at Acorn Childcare Centre. We understand that choosing childcare is a big decision, and we want to make it as simple and straightforward as possible. Here, you’ll find all the information you need about our fees and the funding options available to support your family.

We offer a range of different session options to help support families and provide flexibility wherever possible. We know that every family’s needs are different, and our team is always happy to talk through the options available to help you find the right fit for you and your child.

We believe every child deserves the best start, and every family deserves clarity and support. If you ever have questions or want to chat through what’s right for you, we’re always here to help.

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Our Funding Team

We know that navigating childcare funding can feel a little overwhelming, which is why we have a dedicated team here to help. Donna, our Deputy Manager, and Martha, our Office Manager, are always on hand to answer questions, guide you through the available funding options, and help you find the right support for your family.

Whether you’re unsure about eligibility, want to understand how sessions can work with funding, or just need a little extra guidance, Donna and Martha are here to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible.

     

FEES

 

 

FUNDING

• How do I check what funding I'm eligible for?

 - You can check your eligibility by visiting the official Best Start in Life website. This includes 

• 15-hour universal funding for 3–5-year-olds (available to all families)
• Up to 30 hours working entitlement funding for 9m–5-year-olds
• Disadvantaged 2-year-old funding (means-tested)

https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/eligibility-checker/

 

• How do I apply for funding?

- For children under 3 funding (disadvantaged or working entitlement): Apply through the Best Start In Life website. You will receive a code that you’ll need to give to us to secure your funding.

For 3–4-year-old funding (universal or extended): Apply for the 30-hour code via the Best Start In Life website. You must renew your code every 3 months. Universal 15 hours are automatically applied – no code required.

https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/15-and-30-hours-support/working-families//how-to-apply/

 

• What funding does Acorn offer?

 

• Do I need to renew my funding code?

- Yes. If you're using the 30-hour working entitlement or 2-year-old working funding, you must renew your code every 3 months via your Childcare Choices account. You’ll get reminders by email or text from HMRC.

The working entitlement will not be able to be claimed in the following term if the code was not obtained or renewed before the deadline. Children cannot start to access funded childcare in the grace period.

There are no universally funded hours available for children under the age of 3.

The ‘grace period end date’ is the last date on which a child should receive their place after falling out of eligibility.

The grace period only applies to children already on your claim, accessing their working family entitlements. Children cannot start to access funded childcare in the grace period.

 

• What do nursery need to claim my funding?

- To claim your child’s funding, we will need a completed funding form which you can get from the office. You will also need to supply your child’s funding code via the form.

You will need to complete a funding form for the following reasons:

• To claim initial funding
• Moving funding groups (e.g. 9month to 2 years)
• Every September we will need a new form as per the funding team’s request

We will not be able to claim the funding without a completed funding form – This is a legal requirement from the Funding team.

Any missed funding cannot be backdated.

 

• Gaps in funding

- We offer stretched funding to help parents spread their funded childcare hours across more weeks of the year – typically over 47 weeks instead of just term time (38 weeks). This can make it easier to manage childcare during holidays.

However, stretched funding does not give you extra hours – it simply spreads the same annual amount of funded hours more thinly across the year. That means you get fewer funded hours per week.

Example:

·Term time only – 15/30 hours

·All year round – 12/24 hours

Even though funding is "stretched," it doesn’t cover every single week. So while stretched funding helps spread support more evenly across the year, it doesn’t cover all weeks fully, which can result in funding gaps. With gaps in funding, you will have two options:

1)Your child will automatically be contracted to attend during gaps – if they attend you will be charged for sessions that fall within those gaps

2)If you wish for your child NOT to attend during the gaps so you are not charged you need to give us a months’ notice to cancel these sessions.