Welsh Government 30-hour Education/Childcare Offer
What is the Childcare Offer for Wales?
The Childcare Offer for Wales provides eligible parents of three to four year olds with up to 30 hours per week of combined nursery education and additional funded childcare for up to 48 weeks per year. The Offer will build on children’s existing nursery education entitlement during term time and provide up to 30 hours of funded childcare for nine weeks of the school holidays (school holiday weeks are pro-rata, 3 weeks per term, depending on which term your eligibility is confirmed).
How many hours of childcare am I eligible for?
The offer is a maximum of 30 hours of combined nursery education and additional funded childcare. In Merthyr Tydfil all eligible parents will be offered a minimum of 12.5 hours of Early Years Education and 17.5 hours of Childcare. This also applies to those who wish to utilise the offer within another Local Authority.
Parents are not required to access their nursery education entitlement in order to access the childcare element of the Offer. However their entitlement will include these hours whether they access them or not.
Merthyr Tydfil resident children are eligible for a full time education place from the term following their 3rd birthday. This means that, from that point, Merthyr Tydfil children cannot access the Childcare Offer funded childcare during term time. They can still access holiday funded childcare until the end of the summer holidays following their fourth birthday. This policy applies even if parents do not wish to access nursery education or if the child attends a school in a different Local Authority and will continue to receive a part time education place during the term following their fourth birthday.
The education element of this offer is subject to normal Merthyr Tydfil School Admissions policy. Parents must apply for a nursery education place by the dates detailed on the Merthyr Tydfil School Admissions webpage. This is a separate application to the one made for the funded childcare element of the Childcare Offer.
If a school offers a staggered start to the term when your child first starts, it is not possible to claim Childcare Offer funded childcare hours for when your child is not in school.
Further details on how to apply for a nursery education place can be found at School admissions | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
When will my child become eligible?
The chart below explains when you can apply for the Childcare Offer:
| If your child is born between | Eligible from | Eligible to | Applications open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2019 - 31 December 2019 |
9 January 2023 (start of Spring Term) |
31 August following their 4th birthday 2024 | Open Now |
| 1 January 2020 – 31 March 2020 | 17 April 2023 (start of Summer term) | 31 August following their 4th birthday 2024 | Open Now |
| 1 April 2020 – 31 August 2020 | 4 September 2023 (start of Autumn term) | 31 August following their 4th birthday 2024 | Open Now |
| 1 September 2020 – 31 December 2020 | 8 January 2024 (start of Spring term) | 31 August following their 4th birthday 2025 | Open Now |
| 1 January 2021 – 31 March 2021 | 8 April 2024 (start of Summer term) | 31 August following their 4th birthday 2025 | Open Now |
|
1 April 2021 - 31 August 2021 |
2 September 2024 (start of Autumn term) | 31 August following their 4th birthday 2025 |
Open Now |
|
1 September 2021 - 31 December 2021 |
6 January 2025 (start of Spring term) | 31 August following their 4th birthday 2026 |
23 October 2024 |
|
1 January 2022 - 31 March 2022 |
28 April 2025 (start of Summer term) | 31 August following their 4th birthday 2026 |
12 February 2025 |
Check if you are eligible for the Childcare Offer for Wales and apply here: Check if you're eligible for the Childcare Offer for Wales | GOV.WALES
If you have any questions regarding the offer in Merthyr Tydfil email: childcare.offer@merthyr.gov.uk
Childcare Offer for Wales helpline.
Telephone: 03000 628 628
Join in the conversation online - look for the hashtag #ChildcareOfferWales on social media.