In this guide
2. Eligibility
To be eligible for the Childcare Offer Wales:
- you must live in Wales
- each parent's gross income must be £100,000 or less per year
Gross income is the total income before any deductions including but not limited to:
- pension contributions
- health insurance
- salary sacrifice schemes
- annual bonuses or dividends
You must also be one of the following:
- employed and earning at least, on average, the equivalent to 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage or Living Wage.
- on Statutory Pay and Leave (Sick, Maternity, Paternity, Parental, Bereavement or Adoption Leave)
- enrolled on a further or higher education course that is at least 10 weeks in length
If you have a partner who lives with you, they must also meet one of these employment or education criteria.
Foster carers and kinship carers (relative or friend who is not a child’s parent) may be eligible providing that you meet the parental eligibility criteria.
To be eligible during term time and school holidays, your child must be one of the following:
- 3 years old and eligible for early education in line with the school admissions policy in your local authority (this is normally the term after your child turns 3 but may be later) If you are able to access early education before this you will not be eligible for the Offer until the term after your child turns 3
- 4 years old and not eligible for a full-time education place in the local authority in which you live
If your child is 3 or 4 years old and eligible for full-time education, you:
- will not receive the Childcare Offer during term time
- may be still be eligible for the Childcare Offer during school holidays
If you are accessing the offer with a provider in a different local authority to the one in which you live, eligibility for the Childcare Offer will be determined by the school admission policy in the local authority in which you live. Therefore, if you have been offered a full-time school place in your ‘home’ local authority you will no longer be able to access Childcare Offer funding during term time.
Some exceptions can be made for families in receipt of certain benefits. Contact the National Helpline for further information: 03000 628 628
Before applying check if you're eligible for the Childcare Offer for Wales.