Childcare affordability programme
Funding for childcare places in London
What is the Childcare Affordability Programme (CAP)?
The London Development Agency (LDA) in partnership with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) are offering funding during 2005-2008 to help parents on lower incomes pay for the cost of registered childcare in London. This is called the Childcare Affordability Programme (CAP).
With this funding the LDA and DCSF hope that they will:
- Make childcare in London more affordable for lower income families
- Help parents to remain in, or return to, full time/ part time / flexible work
- Provide parents with greater access, flexibility and choice of childcare
Who can get CAP?
This funding is only available to lower income families that are in receipt of the Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element. (for 2007/2008 this means more than £545.34 per year) Children taking up CAP subsidised places should be aged between 0-5 years old.
What type of financial help could I get?
1. Affordable full daycare
Parents using full daycare places (that is a minimum of six hours a day, five days a week, 48 weeks of the year) in nurseries, will receive a subsidized place if eligible. Nurseries will be offered a subsidy of up to £30.90 a week to bring the cost of the place down to £175 a week. This figure is the limit for receiving support with childcare costs through the Working Tax Credit.
2. Affordable flexible childcare
Similarly parents using the same type of nurseries could access places which are more flexible at a reduced hourly rate. This means there would be greater choice for the parent to use childcare for the number of hours per day they require, and at the times and on the days of the week that best suits them and their child/ren. CAP will offer a subsidy of up to £70 per place per week for eligible settings, dependant on hours agreed.
For further information view the Childcare Affordability Phase One leaflet: Childcare Affordability Programme leaflet
3. West London Working Childcare Support Scheme
Hammersmith & Fulham early years service as a lead partner of the West London Working Childcare Support Scheme has been successful in its application to the Childcare Affordability Programme (CAP) which is a London only scheme, funded by the London Development Agency (LDA) and Sure Start Unit to make childcare more affordable by subsiding childcare places for children under five years in lower income families.
The West London Working childcare support scheme will subsidise childcare for children under five years for the following:
- for parents taking up training – for up to a maximum of 48 weeks per year
- for parents starting work - for up to three months, to support the transition to work
- for parents undertaking work experience, for example as a volunteer on chosen career opportunity – for up to three months
The scheme is open to all residents of Hammersmith and Fulham who meet the following criteria:
- Aged 16 or over
- Not working or working under 16 hours per week
- Not an asylum seeker (unless they have exceptional leave to stay or refugee status
Priority will be given to lone parent families. For the purposes of this scheme, a lone parent is a person who has no partner and who is responsible for, and a member of the same household as, a child or young person under five years.
In addition the childcare subsidy scheme will prioritize those families who are on low income (receiving working tax credit), with a child and/or parent with a disability, black and minority ethnic groups, teenage parents and families living in temporary accommodation
The maximum amount the West London Working childcare support scheme will fund per month is £889.00 for full day care from 8.00am – 6.00pm. This equates to a childcare provider charging £205.00 per child per week for a full day care place. We will be working closely with a range of childcare providers including neighbourhood nurseries, children’s centres, childcare providers in the private, voluntary and independent sectors, local authority play service and childminders who are members of the Hammersmith & Fulham childminder network. All payments will be paid directly to registered/approved childcare providers only.
Donwload the guidance and an application form
For further information call the Family Information Service (formally the Children's Information Service) helpline on 0845 313 3933 (calls charged at standard rate or request further information online
For further information on financial help available to families visit the Help with childcare costs web page
