Children will be given the opportunity to experience high quality early years education with the support of a trained, high quality registered childminder, nursery or pre-school.

Who is eligible?

Two-year-olds whose family receives one of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
• tax credits and have an annual income under £16,190 before tax
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on  
• Universal Credit and not working
• Universal credit and you and your partner have a combined income from work of £15,400 or less, a year after tax.

Two-year-olds who meet any one of the following criteria will also be eligible:

• If they have an Education, Health and Care Plan
• If they receive Disability Living Allowance
• If they are looked after by their local authority including foster carers
• If they have left care through special guardianship or through an adoption or residence order

The new groups of children to be entitled to a free place from September 2019 are:

• Children of Zambrano Carers;
• Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private/family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights;
• Children of a subset of failed asylum seekers (supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 – ‘the 1999 Act’).

Click here to check if you qualify  

If you meet the qualifying criteria above, your child will become eligible from the term after their second birthday.

For more information please contact Family Information Service at fis2@lbhf.gov.uk