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Keep up to date with all the latest news at the Centre

• Upcoming changes to childcare support

  Fri 13 Oct 2023

  The financial support that is available to parents to help with the cost of childcare is increasing. These include major changes to make it easier for parents with childcare responsibilities to move into or take on more paid work. Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By, September 2025, working parents with children aged 9 months old to when they start school will be eligible for 30 hours childcare support.

  The current offer

  In England, all parents and carers of 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours a week childcare support with registered childcare providers. Eligible working parents and carers of children aged 3-4 can also get an additional 15 hours childcare support, bringing their total up to 30 hours a week.

  Some parents of 2-year-old children may also be entitled to 15 hours support.

  Your hours can be used per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time). 

  You can use Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit for Childcare whilst claiming your 15 or 30 hours of childcare support.

  Check here to find the right offer for you and how to apply for 30 hours of childcare.

  There are similar childcare support schemes in Scotland- external link and Wales- external link.

   

  The upcoming expansion

  Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support.

  The changes are being introduced gradually to make sure that providers can meet the needs of more families. This means that:

  From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare support.

  From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds.

  From September 2025, working parents of children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.

  Like the existing offer, depending on your provider, these hours can be used over 38 weeks of the year (during school term time)

   

   

  For further information, please click on the following link:  https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

   

  

• Primary School Applications

  Thu 21 Sep 2023

  If your child was born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 you need to apply for a new reception primary school place by 15 January 2024.

   

  Offers of school places for on time applications will be sent on 16 April 2024.

  Applications after 15 January 2024 will be processed after the initial round of allocations is complete on 16 April 2024.

   

  You can apply online using the link below:

   

  https://parent.bristol.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/parents/admissions