Informed Families

Yes. All Free Entitlement sessions must be free to parents at the point of delivery and there should be no conditions attached to a free place. Any fees, for such as additional hours or lunches, must be presented clearly to you and agreed, prior to your child starting at the setting.

The provider receives funding for delivering the Free Entitlement sessions your child uses. If your child takes up more than the Free Entitlement, or accesses additional services, then you will have to pay any extra fees. For example, if your child attends a four-hour session with a provider who offers an Extended Offer of three hours, you will have to pay the provider for the additional hour.

Don't forget that if you work, you may be eligible to claim the childcare element of Working Tax Credits, or your employer may provide childcare vouchers to help you with meeting the costs of your childcare. (See How can I get help to pay my childcare fees?)

You will be asked to sign an agreement to say that you are not already receiving the Free Entitlement sessions that you are claiming from another provider. Some settings charge a registration fee or deposit when a child first starts to attend although they may only do so if your child is accessing more than the Free Entitlement hours. You should also be asked to sign a contract with the provider which should clearly set out the terms under which your child attends the setting.