Help with children aged three or four If your child is three or four, you're entitled to some help with his childcare or early education fees. We explain what this means and how to make a claim.

What's on offer

All young children aged three and four in England are entitled to a free part-time early education place. This can be in a variety of settings, as long as it's registered by Government regulatory bodies and inspected regularly.

Type of care

The minimum requirement of a part-time place is five two-and-a-half hour sessions every week over 38 weeks (usually divided into 11-week terms). Each session is usually either in the morning or afternoon. These can be taken to suit your and your child's requirements; for example, two sessions a day for two days and one afternoon. You can't take more than two sessions in one day, however.

Eligibility

Your three-year-old or four-year-old is entitled to three terms of free part-time nursery education from the term after the relevant birthday, in the case of four-year-olds until compulsory education begins.

The place could be in a:

• group of registered childminders
• preschool or playgroup
• day nursery
• private nursery school
• state nursery school
• nursery class in a primary school
• reception class in a primary school (four-year-olds only)

What isn't free

Any additional hours over and above the part-time place that your child might spend in a setting for which you'd normally pay fees.

How to apply

To find out how to claim your child's free part-time nursery place, contact your local education authority, or contact the ChildcareLink on 0800 096 0296 or at www.childcarelink.gov.uk.

For information about provisions in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, contact your local health and social services trusts.

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