Early Learning for 2-year-olds (formerly Terrific Twos)

Eligibility criteria

Your 2-year-old will be eligible for Early Learning for 2-year-olds (formerly Terrific Twos) funded early education and childcare if you receive one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax , not including benefit payments
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit

Your benefits will not be affected if you take up the Early Learning for 2-year-olds offer.

2-year-olds can also get funded early education and childcare through the  Early learning for 2-Year-Old scheme, if they:

• are looked after by a local authority
• have an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
• get Disability Living Allowance
• have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

If you're a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits:

If your immigration status says you have 'no recourse to public funds', you may still get funded childcare for your 2 year old. You must live in England and your household income must be no more than:

• £26,500 for families outside of London with 1 child
• £34,500 for families within London with 1 child
• £30,600 for families outside of London with 2 or more children
• £38,600 for families within London with 2 or more children

You cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.

Please note: With Early Learning for 2-year-olds you may have to pay for extra costs like meals, nappies or trips.

If you do not meet any of the above criteria please take a look at Paying for childcare.

How to apply

Important: Please only apply the term before your child turns 2, using the table below as a guide:

To apply, click on the link below. Please only apply to Enfield if you live in the London Borough of Enfield. If you do not live in Enfield, you should apply to the local authority you pay your Council Tax to.

Apply for Early Learning for 2-year-olds

or

Text the word TERRIFIC to 81025 - Informed Families will respond with a text message requesting for the information to process your  application.

or you can apply using our online form here.

Following your application it may take up to 5 working days to receive an outcome (Eligible or Not Eligible).

Find out how we will use your data.

Frequently asked questions

Will there be additional charges?

Early Learning for 2-year-olds sessions may include lunches, snacks, trips or extra classes, for example yoga or music, all of which will be chargeable. You may also want your child to attend for additional hours which will also be chargeable at the providers’ normal hourly rate. These additional costs must be presented clearly to you and agreed prior to your child starting at the setting.

What about home childcarers?

Home Child carers (nannies and au pairs) are exempt from the requirement to register under the Childcare (Exemptions from Registration) Order 2008 if they provide childcare for no more than 2 families in the parent’s homes. They are currently not permitted to register on the Early Years Register and cannot therefore receive early education funding.

When will the funding commence?

The funding will commence at the start of the term after your child turns 2 years old or on the day your application is processed, whichever is latest. Funding will not be backdated.

I have applied for Early Learning for 2-year-olds funding from another local authority but would like my child to attend a provider in Enfield, is this possible?

Yes, please provide your chosen setting with the evidence (email or letter) of your eligibility from the other authority. This will be forwarded to the Enfield team as proof of eligibility.

I have applied for Early Learning for 2-year-olds funding from Enfield but would like my child to attend a provider in another borough, is this possible?

Please contact the borough involved and confirm if they will accept your eligibility from Enfield. If you place your child in a setting in another borough please let the Informed Families team know by emailing if@enfield.gov.uk with your full name and address and your child’s name and choice of setting.

I would like to change my childcare provider, how do I do this?

You will need to ensure that you give your current childcare provider the contracted amount of notice before you change your child’s current childcare place. Please check your contract with regards to the notice period required.

Failure to give adequate notice may result in you not being able to access your funding elsewhere until your notice period has ended.

Once you have agreed an end date in writing with your current provider you will be able to agree a start date at the new setting, this must be after the agreed end date at the current setting.

My Early Learning for 2-year-olds funding is coming to an end, what happens next?

All children are entitled to up to 15 hours per week of funded early education from the term after their 3rd birthday. You will not need to apply for this funding, the setting will automatically claim this for you. If you wish to stay with the same provider you will need to enquire about availability with the provider as you may not automatically be allocated a follow on placement.

30hr funding is available the term after a child turns 3 years old, however there is an eligibility criteria for this funding. For further information on this please see our 30 hours funding page.

What is the government expectation?

Enfield will only fund 2 year old children in 'Requires Improvement (3)' provision, where there is insufficient, accessible 'Good' or 'Outstanding' provision in the local area. In order to ascertain this, we will carry out a childcare sufficiency assessment of the local provision before agreeing to fund any eligible 2-years-olds at the provision.