If you live and work in England, you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns 9 months, until they start school

The government provides funded hours based on term-time only over 38 weeks of the year, so in total, up to 570 (15 hours x 38 weeks) or 1140 (30 hours x 38 weeks) funded hours per annum.

We offer both the funded 15 hours and funded 30 hours on a stretched basis over 51 weeks, therefore giving families access to funded hours spread equally throughout the year and invoiced at the same amount each month. We do have a limited number of term time only places and operate a waiting list for these places.

On a stretched basis, the Universal 15 hours will be given as 11.17 hours per week on our stretched funding over 51 weeks.

For children entitled to the funded 30 hours, this will be given as 22.34 hours per week, on our stretched funding over 51 weeks.

We have included some basic, important information to consider below. To obtain further information on funding eligibility, tax free childcare, tax credits and voucher schemes, please visit the Government website: Childcare & Early Years Education - Best Start in Life

You can usually get funded childcare for working parents if you are:

1. In work or starting a new job
2. On sick leave or annual leave
3. On shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave

Government funding does not cover:

1. Meals
2. Additional Hours
3. Consumables (e.g. nappies, wipes, suncream, puddle suits)
4. Additional activities (e.g. dance & drama, sports coach, music and movement, forest school)

When you can access the working parent offer

The table below shows when you can access the funded support:

If my child turns 9 months between...	I can access the working parent entitlement from the......
1 January to 31 March	Term starting on or after 1 April
1 April to 31 August	Term starting on or after 1 September
1 September to 31 December	Term starting on or after 1 January

The funding periods are taken from the "Funding Calendar" issued by Leicestershire County Council for the academic school year.

If you are returning to work following maternity leave, you will also need to consider the dates you return to work, to ensure you are eligible for funding straight away, please refer to the information below:

If you are applying for childcare for an older child, who is not the subject of the parental leave, you can apply as normal.

You can also apply for the child that is the subject of the parental leave, though when you return to work will affect when you can take up the childcare. The dates below apply:

Date of starting or returning work	When you can apply from	When you can access your entitlements from
1 October to 31 January	1 September to 31 December	1 January
1 February to 30 April	1 January to 31 March	1 April
1 May to 30 September	1 April to 31 August	1 September

The Government state to providers:

"You should use government funding (FEEE) to provide high-quality, flexible early education and childcare; you should not use the funding to cover the cost of consumable items, such as meals, snacks and additional services such as music, dance and drama, sports sessions and trips"

We offer two funded packages here at Evergreen Lodge Nursery and Preschool:

Enhanced Gold Offer, which includes additional weekly charges for: Meal Package, Care Package and Additional Activities and Services. This is an all-inclusive offer.

Silver Offer, this is our offer for any parents not opting to pay for our Enhanced Gold package or benefitting from our home-cooked healthy meals, consumables or any enhanced learning activities that funding does not cover.

Our schedule of fees (private charges) are reviewed annually and our funding offer is reviewed alongside this or in line with DFE guidance changes. Parents will receive 28 days' notice of any increase.

We operate an equality and inclusion policy and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation of parent(s).

Our main demand is for full-time or full day, all year-round attendance, and our business model, staffing commitments and facilities are all set up to meet this requirement. For business sustainability purposes, we have to manage our allocation of places to ensure, where possible, that the take-up of nursery sessions is consistent across all days and all year round.

Applications for full time places may need to be allocated before those for part time places, and bookings for full day sessions and all-year round places may need to be allocated before those for part day sessions and term-time only places.

Our fees and funding information can be found here

APRIL 2026 PRIVATE FEES WITH NO FUNDING
Days	Private Rate Per Day	Funded Hours	Cost To Parent Per Week	Cost Per Week With 20% Tfc	Cost To Parent Per Month	Cost To Parent Per Month With 20% Tfc
2	£84.00	0	£168.00	£134.40	£714.00	£571.50
3	£84.00	0	£252.00	£201.60	£1071.00	£856.80
4	£84.00	0	£336.00	£268.80	£1428.00	£1142.40
5	£84.00	0	£378.00	£302.40	£1606.50	£1285.20

Cost Breakdown (per session)

Breakdown of voluntary enhanced provision charges for a completely all-inclusive place (included but not restricted to):

Meals: Breakfast: £2.50, Snack: £2.00, 2-course homecooked lunch: £5.00, Tea: £3.50

Additional Services / Activities: £9.50 (full day), £6.00 (reduced session)

Care package: £2.50 / session

Session Comparison

Session	Non-funded fees	Funded session - Gold Package
10-hour full day	£84.00	£25.00
7.5-hour session (taken over 3 full days attendance) (This attendance pattern provides flexibility around drop off and collection times due to the private hourly rate being applied at the beginning and end of the day		£18.00

Our private hourly charge is applicable for hours attended in addition to the funded hours.

These costs allow us to maintain the high standards of provision that families of Evergreen Lodge Nursery & Preschool expect.