When to apply for nursery & funded hours?! 🥹

Look now for nurseries. Depending on where you are the waiting list can be up to 18months. I applied at 4months pregnant to make sure I got a space.
As for the funded hours, you don't apply for them until something like 30days before your due back to work. I got the tax free account at 6months and then did the funded hours through that a month before I was due to go back to work. Hope that helps a little

Normally you apply for the funded hours when baby is 9 months. But get your baby on the list at a nursery soon though.

When are you wanting to attend nursery aswell? You would apply for the funding the term before you want the funding to start, so for example you'd apply from the start of the summer term if you'd want them to start in the September term. As for when to apply for places with a childminder or nursery you can get on waiting lists as soon as you want to which is recommended as some waiting lists are quite long x

You get the 30 hours funding the term after they turned 9 months. You also have to have been back at work for 31 days. So if you want then to start in February you should take january as annual leave if you want to extend your maternity to 1 year.

If you are living with your partner you can get them apply for the funded childcare provided they meet the criteria which is on the gov site.

I put my deposit down for the nursery at 30 weeks pregnant, so like someone said above if you go have a look now so and find which one you like and put a deposit down as soon as you can it then avoids disappointment, hope this helps

For the funded hours for working mums I’d do it now as you have to have had your workers code for three months before said child can start x

Some are 15 hours you can apply a term before hand or in april… some nursery’s only do 15 hours if under 3-4 . Get on waitlist for nursery asap

Get booked in nursery asap
Take a tour around a few and decide which one you like best
The government portal will ask you to set up an account to receive your funded hours it’s a click exercise really and pretty straight forward

Don’t forget to apply for your tax free childcare account too. It feels like a lot but honestly the government process is actually quite simply once you’re in it.

You can use the hours the term after your baby turns 9 months.
You have to return to work within the same month as them starting.
You reconfirm every 3 months (they’ll remind you).

How do I apply for the funding ?

I did 3 months I applied for the cose before term started but October time he started in new term January. He’s 2 though and this nursery only takes from age 2 so think it might depend