Funded early education for 2-year-olds

A) You may be eligible if you receive any of the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment Support Allowance
• Support through Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• State Pension Credit (the guaranteed element)
• Child Tax Credit and/or Working Tax Credit and earn no more than £16,190 per year
• Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments. (If a parent is entitled to Universal Credit they must have an annual net earned income not exceeding £15,400, assessed on up to three of the parent’s most recent Universal Credit assessment periods.)
• Check if you can get funded childcare for your 2-year-old.*

Check your child's eligibility.

*Information about using the online checker:

1. The online checker link will take you to the 'Two Year Old Funding Application’ website.
2. You'll need your National Insurance Number.
3. If you're eligible you'll be able to print a Suffolk County Council headed paper letter at the end of your application.
4. Give the letter to your chosen childcare provider, they will check that this is valid and let you know when your child can start their funded childcare.

If you experience any issues with your application, and believe that you meet the eligibility criteria listed above, you can take along paper evidence that proves this to your chosen childcare provider.

B) Your child may also be eligible based on the following (non-economic) criteria if:

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

Take proof to your chosen childcare provider if any of the above applies to your child. 

C) 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 one child
• £30,600 for families outside of London with two or more children

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

If you think you qualify, please contact the Suffolk Family Information Service by emailing: suffolkfis@suffolk.gov.uk

This information is taken from Help paying for childcare: Funded education and childcare for 2-year-olds - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you are a working parent family, who do not meet any of the criteria listed on this page, you may qualify for the expanded offer from April 2024. You can find further information and how to apply by visiting the Childcare Choices website.

Your child can start receiving funding from the term after their second birthday.

An early start helps to build children’s social and emotional capabilities enabling children to be happily engaged with others, to learn and fully develop.

Children benefit significantly and the funded hours can help improve families daily routines.

Your child will receive quality early learning opportunities which will help their:

• Intellectual development
• All-round development
• communication, language and literacy skills,
• Exploration of the environment around them,
• social/behavioural development,
• Independence and confidence.

For more information, you can:

• speak to your current childcare provider (day nursery, pre-school playgroup or childminder), who will check if you are eligible and complete an application form with you
• contact the Suffolk Family Information Service (FIS) by email: suffolkfis@suffolk.gov.uk or call 0345 60 800 33 please leave a voicemail and we will return your call.

Find registered childcare providers in your local area

To find childcare providers that offer funded early education places for 2-year-olds, you can either contact the FIS by emailing: childcare.planning@suffolk.gov.uk or go to our Family Services Directory website to search online for childcare providers by following these steps:

1. Put your full postcode in the location box field
2. Click on the arrow from the Family Service Directory box field to select childcare and click Search.
3. This will show you a list of childcare providers in your local area.

Suffolk County Council post Golden Tickets to some eligible families to let them know they qualify for funded childcare for their 2 year old, and to help make it easier for parents to apply with a childcare provider.

The non-transferable Golden Tickets include a unique reference number which parents can take to their chosen childminder, day nursery or preschool playgroup as proof that they are eligible to receive up to 15 hours funded childcare per week during term time (or fewer hours per week stretched over the whole year).

The Golden Tickets must be used with a childcare provider who is registered with Ofsted and rated either “Good” or “Outstanding”. (If parents want to attend a childcare provider that is rated “Requires Improvement”. Check if you can get free childcare for your 2-year-old. 

The Golden Tickets should be taken to a childcare provider before the expiry date ends to apply for the funded childcare. The funded childcare will start from the term after your child's second birthday and it will continue up until your child starts school (see tab 2 - "When will my 2 year old start to receive the funded childcare" for details.) and once you have started receiving the funded childcare it will continue even if your circumstances change.

Parents may still be eligible for funded childcare for their 2 year old even if they did not receive a golden ticket in the post. You can still check if you are eligible by using our online 2 year old checker.