Childcare for Service Children
Introduction
Finding suitable childcare for your children can be tricky, but there are lots of ways to help you find different types of childcare in your area. If you are looking to put your child into childcare for the first time or are due to move and need to change childcare setting, we advise that you identify suitable childcare options as soon as possible and establish if there are spaces or whether there is a waiting list. We recommend putting your child’s name down for a place or onto a waiting list as soon as your child is born or as soon as you have had a move confirmed.
If you are moving be sure to give your current nursery/childcare setting plenty of notice that you are leaving so that you do not incur any additional costs. If you claim the government funded free hours for 3-4 year olds you will also have to change the details of the setting that you are claiming from.
Find out more about childcare for Service children.
Each local authority is responsible to ensuring that there is enough suitable childcare provision in their area. Most local authorities have a childcare directory on their council websites which will list all of the OFSTED registered local nurseries, preschools, childminders and playgroups.
Local childcare services and directories can be found via the search facility on the GOV.UK site:
- Find nursery school place
- Find registered childminder
- Find free early education (check your entitlements and within the timings required)
- Find Sure Start Children’s Centre
There are a number of other websites offering support to find childcare options in your area:
- childcare.co.uk is the UK’s largest online, government-endorsed childcare platform.
- Childminders in England and Wales can be located from the Government website.
- Before and after school and holiday clubs in England and Wales can be found on the Government website.
- In Scotland, you can find a nursery or childcare place here.
- The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) website offers helpful advice about choosing childcare, as well as information for people considering childminding as a career.
Inspection reports for approved childcare providers can be found via the following websites:
- England: Ofsted approved childcare providers
- Wales: Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW)
- Scotland: Scottish Care Inspectorate
- Northern Ireland: Early Years Teams
Approved childcare can also include care provided by a maintained or independent school that is registered with the relevant inspection body. If your child is over 5, the childcare must be outside school hours and on the school premises.
Following positive feedback and a successful pilot, the MOD announced on 21st July, 2022 the full roll-out of the WAC scheme nation-wide. On 1st September 2022, the scheme was officially launched.
Details
- This scheme will help eligible Service families with children aged 4 to 11 years, who are in school or being home schooled in the UK.
- Eligible families can claim up to 20 hours per week of funding for each child that is attending before and after school care during term time.
- WAC is known as ‘Out of School care’ in Wales and ‘School Aged Childcare’ in Scotland.
Your next steps
- To benefit from the WAC scheme, you must complete five steps in sequential order. These steps are available on the Discover My Benefits (DMB) portal: RN portal | RM portal
- The DMB pages also include a range of resources, such as details on the eligibility criteria, the claiming process and a list of FAQ.
- Also see DIN – 2022DIN01-079 for further information.
- Learn more about the MOD Wraparound Childcare Registration and claims process.
The government has a website that provides information on of the different childcare support options that are available to you for children aged 0-16. The Childcare Choices website includes information and links on where to apply for tax-free childcare offers. You must use ‘approved childcare’ settings to qualify for help. Click for a step-by-step guidance. Click for an information pack from HMRC.
For more information on what level of childcare support you may be eligible for. Here is childcare calculator.
Statutory Provision
England
- All 3- & 4-year-olds can access free early years education or childcare.
- 3- & 4-year-olds with working parents can access up to 30 hours free childcare.
- 2-Year-olds with working parents or who claim certain benefits can access up to 15 hours free childcare.
See Help paying for childcare: Childcare you can get help paying for (‘approved childcare’) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for further details.
See Early Years childcare | HMRC Childcare Choices for more information on the planned expansion of the offer, which is being introduced gradually and started April 2024.
Scotland
Up to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare a year (around 30 hours a week in term time), if your child is 3 or 4 years old. You may be able to get more funded hours in your area. Visit mygov.scot for further details.
Some 2-year-olds are also eligible for free childcare, for example if you get certain benefits.
Visit the Scottish Government’s website to find out more and get a link to your council to claim your funded place.
A parents’ guide to early learning and childcare in Scotland was produced by Audit Scotland to help to provide clearer information to families.
Wales
Up to 30 hours a week of childcare or early education if your child is 3 or 4 years old, for up to 48 weeks of the year. In November 2022 the Welsh Government has launched a new digital service to replace the old system where parents would apply for the Offer via their Family Information Service. Find out more and apply for the Childcare Offer for Wales.
Northern Ireland
Visit NI Direct for information on tax-Free Childcare or childcare vouchers.
MOD Childcare vouchers
The MOD Childcare vouchers are available to Service personnel. The scheme is now closed to new entrants. For those that are already registered it enables you to convert part of your salary into childcare vouchers before your usual tax and NI contributions are taken. This means that you only have to pay the tax and NI on what’s left, saving you up to £933 per year. Childcare vouchers may affect the amount of tax credits you get. Find out more about whether you would be better off taking childcare vouchers, and or applying for Tax-Free Childcare.
Childcare provided by relatives
England/Scotland –
You can only get help paying for childcare by a relative (for example a grandparent) if:
- they’re a registered childminder and care for your child outside your home
- you’re paying them using Universal Credit, tax credits or childcare vouchers
- You can’t get help for childcare provided by your partner or paid for by the free early education and childcare scheme.
Northern Ireland –
You can only get help paying for childcare provided by a relative if all of the following apply:
- they’re in a childcare approval scheme in Northern Ireland
- they care for your child outside your home
- they care for at least one other child that isn’t related to you
If you live in Wales –
You can’t get help paying for childcare provided by a relative.
The Naval Children’s Charity can offer financial support towards navy childcare costs in times of emergency or family crisis. If you need help with extra childcare support, if for instance one child is in hospital which means you need help with your other children outside of your usual childcare or if your family is experiencing marital difficulties or breakdown, the NCC can help. They are on hand to help you to ensure that your children feel more settled, particularly if moving to a new home or if you are unable to look after them in an emergency situation. They are generally able to respond to an emergency situation within a couple of hours.
Phone: Monday – Friday 0800-1600, 02392 639534
Email: caseworkers@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk
Private fostering (eg during deployment)
Are you are deploying or working away for more than 28 days, and organising childcare with someone who is not your child’s parent? Please check the regulations regarding private fostering. If an individual is looking after someone else’s child for more than 28 days they must notify their local council – failure to do so is a criminal offence. Find out more about Private Fostering.
The law on leaving your child on their own
We have provided Government guidance. The NSPCC has produced a guide to help you to decide when it is safe for your child to be home on their own, and what you can do if they are too young.
From September 2024 eligible families assigned overseas will have access to funded childcare hours for their children aged from 9 months old.
Defence have expanded the childcare offer for families assigned overseas with 9 months – 4-year-old children, to match the entitlement in England.
To reflect the offer available in England, all families assigned overseas with children aged 3 to 4 years old, and 2-year-old children in receipt of additional government support, are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week during term time.
From September 2024 additional funded hours are available for eligible working families during term time. Find out if you are eligible for 15 hours a week for children aged 9 months to 3 years, or 30 hours a week for children aged 3 to 4 years.
For more information about the Early Years Childcare available in England, please go to Early Years childcare | Childcare Choices (GOV.UK).
When can parents assigned overseas access the funded childcare hours?
From September 2024 Eligible working families will be entitled to up to 15 hours of funded childcare for their 9 months to 3-year-old child(ren) from the term after they turn 9 months old and for up to 30 hours funded childcare for their 3–4-year-old child(ren) from the term following their third birthday.
From September 2025 eligible working families will receive up to 30 hours of funded childcare for children aged 9 months old to school age.
Who is eligible?
- Regular Service personnel including FTRS (FC)
- UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) assigned overseas with accompanying pre-school aged children. Fee-paying contractors cannot apply.
To be eligible for the additional funding available to working families, both parents i.e. the Defence person and their spouse/partner (or a sole parent in a lone parent family), must meet the minimum earnings threshold, of at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum or Living Wage, and not exceed the maximum earnings threshold of £100,000 per year.
What do parents need to do?
- Check eligibility by reading the DIN content.
- Identify a suitable Defence Childcare Services (DCS) setting.
Where there is no DCS provider, or if DCS are unable to meet the requirements of the family, Overseas Nursery Authority (ONA) can be applied for and used. However, the childcare provider must be registered, regulated and inspected by the host nation.
- Get sign-off from Commanding Officer, Commander, or Head of Location for non DCS Providers, or the Head Teacher / Early Years Manager for DCS providers.
- Keep supporting evidence/receipts of application forms and ongoing claims for audit purposes.
Full information can be found in the new DIN, 2024DIN01-085-Funded childcare entitlements and processes for overseas Service personnel and UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) with accompanying pre-school aged children, which replaces the ONA and 30 hours childcare DINs. DINs are only available on the Defence intranet.
For families, further information and guidance will be added to the Defence Childcare Information Page and Discover My Benefits in the upcoming weeks.
Early Years childcare within the UK
Defence remains committed to enabling access to appropriate, enriching, and safe childcare for the children of Service families.
There is a commitment to look at the ‘offer’ that is in place throughout the UK and overseas. This piece of work will consider the totality of the offer, not just in relation to childcare, and may not result in any changes.
Who to contact if you have any questions.
Early Years childcare funding overseas, email: PEOPLE-AFFS-Child-Expenses@mod.gov.uk
