Help towards paying for nursery education

Early years education places – funding for three and four year olds

Hammersmith & Fulham Early Years and Childcare Service is responsible for increasing early years education and childcare places in the borough and receives government funding to enable more three and four year olds to attend early years education.  The extra funding is to help parents who pay for their child to attend an early years facility and is called the three and four year old offer.  

What is the three and four year old offer?
The three and four year old offer (formerly known as the Nursery Education Grant) is funding towards the cost of early years education and will help provide a free part time place for every three and four year old whose parent wants it.  

Who can get the funding?
The offer for three and four year olds guarantees free entitlement for all parents, regardless of circumstances or income. You can receive the three and four year old offer if you meet all the following:

• Your child is aged three or four years old by specific deadline dates as determined by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS) 
• You pay for your child’s early education 
• Your child attends a facility that is registered with Hammersmith & Fulham Early Years Service     

What is a session?
One session is two and a half hours.  The funding will pay for up to two sessions in a day to a maximum of five sessions per week. If your child’s early years education costs more than the funding allocation you will have to top up the fees.

For further information on the 3 and 4 year old funding please contact the Children’s Information Service on 0845 313 3933 (calls charged at standard rate)or email cis@lbhf.gov.uk.  

Or download the leaflet 3 & 4 year old nursery education funding

For further information on financial help available to families go to Help with childcare costs