Tag Archive for: 15 hours

30+ Food Safety & Hygiene Tips for Parents

Poor standards around food preparation could make children very ill, or even prove fatal.Hygiene and safety around food preparation is important to everyone’s health and wellbeing. However, it’s even more important for babies, infants and toddlers. At this age they are fragile and have low resilience against bacteria, toxins and potential food poisoning. The fall-out from poor standards around food preparation could therefore make little ones very ill or, in the worst cases, even prove fatal. With that in mind, today’s article outlines ways that parents/guardians of children can take appropriate precautions when preparing and serving food to little ones.

Hygiene in the Kitchen

It’s important that any food preparation is done in a clean and hygienic environment. This helps to prevent the spread of germs and cross-contamination of foods.

  • Always clean surfaces before preparing or serving food on them.Always clear and clean your surfaces.
  • Ensure pets to not walk on surfaces where food may be prepared or eaten.
  • Make sure, if using a cleaning product like a spray, that it does not come into contact with any of the foods or plate surfaces that food will go onto.
  • Make sure that all kitchen utensils are clean and have been washed in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher.
  • Remember to keep sinks clean and hygienic too.
  • Keep fridge and cupboard door handles, cooker knobs and hobs clean and hygienic.
  • Ensure that tea towels and hand towels are fresh and regularly washed to prevent the further spread of germs.

Personal Hygiene Around Food

There are also things that you can do on a personal level to keep hygiene and food safety levels high for your family:

  • Always wash hands before preparing food, and rinse them well.Tie long hair back to avoid it coming into contact with food.
  • Always wash hands before preparing food, and rinse them well.
  • If you feel unwell, for example with a tummy bug, try and ask a family member or friend to help with food preparation so you avoid spreading germs to your child.
  • Ensure your fridge is set to the correct temperature to keep food cold and the door kept closed whenever possible.
  • Ensure the fridge is kept clean and always clear up spillages or leaks there right away.
  • Try to avoid smoking while preparing food. Second-hand smoke and smoke residue is not at all good for children.

Precautions Around Food Preparation

Preparation of the food itself is, of course, an important consideration when it comes to hygiene and avoiding germs getting into children’s meals.

Always wash fruit and vegetables before preparing. Peeling vegetables is also a good precaution.

  • Always wash your hands before preparing or handling food.
  • Wash vegetables, salad, fruit etc. and even peel some types of vegetable, particularly root vegetables that have been grown in earth.
  • Avoid giving eggs to children younger than 6 months of age. If giving chickens’ eggs to children aged 6 months or older, ensure they are stamped with the Red Lion or ‘British Lion Quality’ mark if serving raw or only lightly cooked. All other eggs must be thoroughly cooked i.e. so that the yolk and egg whites become firm. That includes eggs from ducks, geese and quails.
  • Make sure all foods are thoroughly cooked.
  • Pay particular care to the cooking of fish, seafood and shellfish, ensuring that it’s cooked thoroughly.
  • Allow the cooked food to cool for a short time, testing that it’s become lukewarm, before feeding it to your child. You can place the hot food in an airtight container and run it under cold water, stirring periodically, to cool it faster.

Cooling & Storing Food

A safe approach to food cooling and storage is also incredibly important for the wellbeing of you, your child and family.

  • Do not let pets on work surfaces or dining tables.Always store raw meat and fish away from other foods. Store each separately in covered containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge. This prevents drips falling onto other foods.
  • When saving cooked food to store in the fridge or freezer for later use, try to cool it as quickly as possible — ideally within one or two hours (N.B. for rice, see below) and put it straight into the fridge or freezer once cold.
  • Rice is a special case due to the possible build-up of toxins. It must be cooled within one hour and eaten within 24 hours. Never reheat rice more than once. Learn more about the dangers of reheating rice here.
  • If freezing foods, label and date them, so they can be used in an appropriate time frame.

Reheating Food

Reheating food also needs to be done in the right way in order to keep families safe and well:.

  • It's best to cook eggs until whites and yolk become firm.Do not reheat rice or cooked food more than once. As we said above, particular care needs to be taken with rice.
  • Always defrost frozen food thoroughly before cooking — either in the fridge overnight or by using defrost mode in a microwave.
  • When reheating food, always ensure it is the correct temperature for your child to eat otherwise it could burn them if too hot or not be safe to eat if not cooked sufficiently.
  • If reheating meals in the microwave, be very careful as it can retain the heat more and continue cooking even once taken out of the microwave.

Things Your Child Can Do

You should also inform and teach your child about hygiene and food safety. Leading by example and explaining why you’re going what you’re doing is a good approach.

  • Remind your child to wash their hands before they eat.Remind your child to wash their hands before they eat and that it’s a matter of hygiene.
  • Try to ensure your child is seated and calm for eating. A child who is running around or playing is at greater risk of choking when eating.
  • It goes almost without saying that you should avoid allowing children to eat when they are seated on the potty or toilet.

Food Safety, Hygiene & Quality Assurance At Leaps & Bounds Nursery

We follow best practices for food preparation at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery and have a 5-star food hygiene rating.We do, of course, follow all best practices at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. We are rated with the full 5 stars in terms of food hygiene and preparation and also won the Gold Quality Award, Birmingham City Council’s “Healthy Setting Award” and have completed various quality assurance schemes.

Nursery Places in Edgbaston, Birmingham

Leaps & Bounds: Ofsted-rated as a ‘Good’ Nursery & Pre-school in Edgbaston, Birmingham

Leaps & Bounds nursery & pre-school is in Edgbaston, Birmingham B16, near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood & Smethwick

If you are looking for high quality weekday childcare for your baby or child under five, ensure you choose a nursery that’s highly rated by Ofsted — Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery and pre-school for example. Leaps & Bounds is officially a good nursery and pre-school, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Leaps & Bounds Nursery is rated as a Good Provider of childcare by Ofsted.It is also very near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood and Smethwick, so will be convenient for childcare services if you live or work in any of those locations. We accept children funded through the Government schemes like 15 hours per week of free childcare for 2-year-olds, 15-30 hours per week of free childcare for  3 & 4-year-olds, childcare grants for students and tax-free childcare too (all subject to eligibility, of course). Interested?

Please choose a button to get started on a guided visit, nursery application or simply to find out more:

A Final Word

While this guide is primarily about hygiene around food, it would be remiss of us not to include the following additional reminders:

  • Only feed your child age-appropriate foods. This is particularly important when they are babies;
  • Avoid any known allergens (if your child is allergic) and any foods they are intolerant to;
  • Avoid foods that are known to be potentially harmful. For example, foods that are too high in salt, sugar and saturated fats, contain arsenic in the case of rice drinks, or contain mercury in the case of some fish/seafood. Choking hazards like whole nuts and olives are other examples to avoid. See our A-Z of foods to avoid giving your infant for more details.
  • Always check ingredients and age guidelines on food packaging, including formula milks.
  • Always ensure you are giving your baby or child a healthy, balanced, age-appropriate diet and one that uses portion sizes that are appropriate to their age and developmental stage.
  • Be vigilant when cooking to ensure your child is not exposed to dangers like hot ovens, hot hobs, boiling kettles, trailing electrical leads and so on.

How to Prepare Children For School

Preparing will ensure that the transition from pre-school to school goes as smoothly and stress-free as possible.In today’s article, we take a look at the best ways to prepare children for starting school. Leaving pre-school and starting Reception Year at primary school is a huge step for them. It’s also a big step for parents/carers, of course. So, it’s wise for everyone to be as prepared as possible for the first day and week in particular. Preparing well will ensure that the transition goes as smoothly and as stress-free as possible. So, how do we go about preparing children for starting at school? Let’s take a look …

Nurturing School-Readiness at Pre-School

The good news is that a good nursery or pre-school like Leaps & Bounds will help children prepare for school by default. It’s one of the key goals of any good pre-school, in fact. Decent pre-schools will nurture “preschoolers” (aged from about 3 to 5 years of age) in all aspects of their learning and development. This includes academically, physically, socially, emotionally, in terms of communication and language and also, of course, in terms of introducing them to A good pre-school will teach children everything they need to know in order to be ‘school-ready’ by the time they start in Reception Year.everything they need to know in order to be ‘school-ready’ by the time they leave and start school. As well as encouraging independence and a level of self-confidence, the preparation at pre-school will also include introducing them to reading and writing and a good grounding in understanding the world. These and many other aspects of early eduction will all stand children in good stead, so they can hit the ground running from the moment they begin Reception Year at school.

So, placing your child into a good local pre-school by the time they’re 3 or 4 can pay huge dividends for your child — but don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what the Department for Education has to say about sending children to nursery/pre-school for ‘early years education’:

“Early childhood education benefits the educational, cognitive, behavioural and social outcomes of children in both the short and long term.”

The Government helps with free funded childcare hours at nursery/pre-school for 3 and 4-year-olds in England — and Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery in Edgbaston supports the scheme. (Learn more about free childcare funding for 3 and 4-year-olds here).

Nurturing School-Readiness at Home

Parents, carers or guardians of preschoolers can also do many simple things to help them become school-ready by the time they’re five …

Working in Partnership with Pre-School

Children will benefit if parents help them work towards the same learning and development goals as the pre-school.One very obvious way to help is to ensure that, even when at home, parents/carers work in partnership with the child’s pre-school, i.e. work towards the same learning and development goals for the child. Working on any weaker areas at home will help the child in terms of school preparedness.

Encouraging children to have a built-in desire to learn will help them in both the short and long term.

Visit the School

Visiting the school with the child will also help them be more prepared as they will know better what to expect when the time comes. Familiarity and knowing their way around, ahead of time, is also a very practical benefit of taking them for a school visit. Obtaining a school brochure or prospectus for the child will also help with this.

Find a Friendly Face

Finding out which friends are also going to the school will give children moral support.Finding out which friends are also going to the school will benefit them. If there are none, then a play date can be set up if you can get to know another family whose child is starting on the same day. Knowing one or more friends, who are going at the same time, will be good moral support for all parties. It’ll also stop them feeling isolated, alone or even abandoned, particularly in the first couple of days once they start.

Nurture Independence

Encouraging independence will greatly help children. If they learn to look after their own personal needs before they start school, it’ll help them once they begin. Toilet training, personal hygiene, dressing, tying laces, packing backpacks, eating and tidiness are all good examples of things they can learn at home before beginning school.

Personal & Social Skills

Encouraging independence will greatly help children once they begin school.Similarly, social skills like having good manners, being polite, knowing the difference between right and wrong, empathy for others and, of course, good communication skills will all help children thrive more easily once they’re at school. Parents/carers can help them with this.

Answer & Reassure

Answering questions or finding answers to questions that the child may have will also help to reassure them and allay any fears that they may have.

The Power of Positivity

Being positive with your answers will also help. Encourage children to feel excited about all the wonderful things they will be able to do and learn once at school. There might be new sports, new exciting topics, new equipment, wonderful games and opportunities — so encourage positivity. This is one of life’s big adventures, so don’t forget to remind them.

Prepare

Ensure that both you and your child know the drill for dropping off and picking up at each end of the school day.Nearer the start date, run through what’s likely to happen on the first day with your child, so they’re mentally prepared. Again, be positive about it all.

In the week or two before they start, ensure they get used to an appropriate bedtime and get sufficient sleep. Ideally, their body clocks should have adjusted fully to ‘school time’ before they actually start. So, even breakfast time may need an adjustment in the weeks preceding the start of school. This will all help them get through the day with good concentration and energy levels.

Another good tip is to ensure that both you and your child know the drill for dropping off and picking up at each end of the school day. Where is it done? What time? What is the best approach from a safety perspective? What security precautions does the school have in place should you unexpectedly need to send someone else to collect your child. The answers to all these types of questions will need to be known before the first day.

On the First Day of School

Ensure that the child's backpack is pre-packed with everything they'll need.When the big day comes, ensure that you are both fully prepared so that the start of school is stress-free for both you and your child. This includes:

  • Ensuring that the child’s backpack is pre-packed with everything they’ll need including any sports or P.E. clothes/footwear (suitably labelled with their name), any stationery, a calculator if needed and so on;
  • Ensuring they have sufficient food, snacks and drink should the school not be supplying them;
  • Making sure that the uniform fits, is clean, ironed and ready for the child;
  • Knowing the journey times and parking/dropping-off arrangements, because you don’t want to make your child late — especially on their first day;
  • Making sure that you have the contact details of the school and form tutor — and that they have yours — in case of any problems.

Just before you wave goodbye to your child, ensure they know who is picking them up and when. This will reassure them and is also for safety. Make sure you have agreed security arrangements for pick-up between yourselves and, of course, don’t be late when picking them up when the time comes.

A Wonderful Nursery & Pre-School in Birmingham, Near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood & Smethwick

Leaps & Bounds nursery & pre-school is in Edgbaston, Birmingham B16, near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood & Smethwick

Leaps & Bounds Nursery is rated as a Good Provider of childcare by Ofsted.Leaps & Bounds is an excellent pre-school and nursery in Edgbaston, Birmingham (B16). As such, it’s also ideally located if you are searching for pre-schools or childcare nurseries near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood or Smethwick. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers absolutely thrive at the setting and we even have our own Forest School, where children get to benefit and learn from nature. One of our most important goals for every child is also to ensure they are school-ready by the time they leave us around the age of 5. If you have any questions, would like to bring your child for a visit or would simply like to apply for a place, please get in touch:

The Importance of Early Years Education
If you are in any doubt as to whether to send your child to nursery/pre-school, then this post is especially for you. It will show, in no uncertain terms, that early years education is incredibly important for children, benefiting them throughout childhood and right through into adulthood. Study after study has reached this same conclusion and, in today’s post, we’ll take a closer look at the findings of just two of the key studies.

“What we found, quite convincingly in the study, is that pre-school matters. Pre-school matters for children’s short-, medium- and long-term development.” (Brenda Taggart, UCL Institute of Education & a principal investigator of the EPPSE study)

 The UK’s EPPSE Study

The Effective Pre-School, Primary & Secondary Education (EPPSE) study began in 1997. It followed the progress of a cohort of over 3,000 children, then aged around 3, from first attending pre-school right through their subsequent education at school up to the age of 16. It compares them to other children of the same age who did not attend high quality early years education/pre-school.
The results are crystal clear and have gone on to be referenced worldwide by such organisations as UNICEF and UNESCO. Indeed, they have helped to shape UK early years education ever since, including not only the curriculum itself, but also teacher training and pedagogy (the approach to, and practice of, teaching). What’s more, their impact has been so strong that it led to the UK Government introducing free early years education for all UK children aged 3 to 4 and also childcare funding for 2-year-olds from the poorest 40% of UK households.

Findings

Children who experienced a high quality early years education:

  • Are more likely to go on to higher education;
  • Attain better academic results including improved grades for English and mathematics;
  • Attain a higher number of GCSEs from grades A to C;
  • Tend to be more well-behaved, including improved self-regulation, better behaviour and improved peer relationships;
  • Are less prone to hyperactivity;
  • Are still positively benefiting from their pre-school educations;
  • With the better results and depth of education gained, children who attended pre-school are also statistically more likely to earn more during their working lifetimes.

“Children at 16 were still being influenced by their pre-school experience on many of their outcomes.”

In the video below, Brenda Taggart (UCL Institute of Education and one of the principal investigators of the EPPSE study) gives a brief overview of the study’s findings:

“Pre-school is not only good for children; it’s good for families, and it’s good for our country.”

 Society Also Benefits from Pre-School Education

It’s not only the children themselves who benefit from an early years education. Because of their increased earnings potential, children who attended pre-school will pay more tax to the UK Exchequer, which is good for the country and society in general. The American study below found even more benefits to society …

The American Study

A similar study in America followed a cohort of 1500 children from low-income families, right from pre-school through to the age of 28 so far. That study found similar benefits to the UK’s EPPSE study, along with several additional findings:

  • An early years education translated to lower rates of serious crime and less likelihood of prison incarceration in later life;
  • It also resulted in a lower likelihood of developing depression;
  • Every 1 dollar spent on early years education resulted in between $4 and $11 of economic gain over the life of each individual;
  • It also showed a reduction in the instances of neglect, child abuse and substance abuse;
  • The American study also clearly demonstrates the critical importance and long-term positive impact of ensuring school readiness by the time children are 5.

Early Years Learning & Development at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery, Birmingham

Leaps & Bounds Nursery is rated as a Good Provider of childcare by Ofsted.So, the message is clear — early years education at nursery or pre-school really matters. At Leaps & Bounds Nursery in Edgbaston, Birmingham, we’re well aware of this, of course. Every single thing we do has a purpose and our childcare professionals do everything they can to ensure that the early years education is of the highest possible quality. With a learning and development curriculum designed and tailored to each individual baby, toddler or preschooler, they naturally achieve personal bests in every area. That’s a powerful start for such young children. It means that they will be school-ready by the time they leave us around the age of five. They can hit the ground running and easily build upon the learning and development foundations gained during their time with us. In this way, they are likely to absolutely thrive during their school years and well beyond. The studies prove it!
Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16If you would like to explore the opportunity of your child attending our outstanding nursery in Edgbaston, Birmingham, please get in touch. We may suit you if you are looking for the best nurseries and pre-schools near Bearwood, Smethwick, Harborne or Ladywood. Leaps & Bounds is also a Forest School setting, allowing children to benefit from learning in a natural environment during those sessions. Places are limited, so please call 0121 246 4922 or contact us here and we’ll be happy to tell you more or to show you/your child around.

A Birmingham Nursery that Ticks All the Boxes
If you’re looking for a nursery, pre-school or other childcare setting for your little one, you need to ensure that it ticks all the right boxes. It needs to be high quality in all respects, well thought-of by existing and past parents, conveniently located for dropping off and picking up — and a whole lot more. If you’re looking in the Edgbaston or Birmingham area, Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery is hard to beat. Compare any other contenders with us and you’ll soon see that we shape up extremely well as a nursery. Take a look via our nursery check list:

Convenience

Convenience

Fees & Funding

Fees & funding

Facilities & Equipment

Facilities & equipment

Visiting the Nursery

Visiting the nursery

Social Proof

Social proof

Ofsted Report

Ofsted report

Safety & Security

Safety & security

The Setting & Staff

The setting & staff

Conclusion

Conclusion

(Information correct at time of writing).

We hope you like what you see about Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. If so, we’re convenient for those looking for a childcare nursery in and around Edgbaston, Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood, Smethwick and, of course, Birmingham itself. Contact us or book a visit here, or call 0121 246 4922 to ask any questions. We’ll be very happy to help.

Free Childcare Funding for 3 & 4 Year Olds – Everything you Need to Know

This article explains everything you will need to know about free childcare funding for 3 and 4 year olds in England. Perhaps you’ve heard reference to ’15 hours funding’ or ’30 hours funding’ and need some clarification about what they mean and whether your child is entitled to them. If so, read on …

15 hours of free childcare funding

How it works

All 3 and 4 year old children in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare funding per week. This is funded by the UK Government, the funding being paid direct to the approved childcare setting involved. The 15 hours per week are usually spread over 38 weeks of the year, totalling a maximum of 570 hours. However, they can be spread out in a different way should the need arise, subject to agreement of the nursery, pre-school or other childcare setting involved.

Eligibility

After application, funding is available from the first term following the child’s 3rd birthday. In practice, this means that the child can start from either 1 January, 1 April or 1 September depending on which part of the year their third birthday falls.

The income of the child’s parent or guardian is not a factor affecting eligibility for the 15 hours of free funding for 3 and 4 year olds. Similarly, the work situation of the child’s parent or guardian is not a factor.

The child is eligible until either they start primary school (usually in the September term following their 4th birthday) or until they reach the compulsory age for school if that’s later.
It’s important to note that the Government funding does not usually cover extra things like nappies, food and the cost of any trips.

How to apply

Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery is an approved childcare setting, so let us know if you require ’15 hours childcare funding’ per week for your three or four year old child. We can then assist you with your application. Also let us know if you’d prefer to stretch the 570 total hours over more weeks of the year and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

30 hours of free childcare funding

How it works

Some 3-4 year old children are also eligible for an extra 15 hours of free childcare funding each week. This brings the total to 30 Government funded hours per week for those children, making 1140 hours over the course of the year (based on 38 weeks). As with the 15 hours funding, this can be spread out in a different way if that’s practical. For example, it could be taken as less than 30 hours per week but stretched out over a greater number of weeks in the year if preferred.

You are usually eligible for 30 hours of childcare funding even if you are already claiming Universal Credit, Tax Credits, Childcare Vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare.

Eligibility:

Eligibility generally depends four key factors:

  • Whether you are working;
  • How much you are earning;
  • Your child’s circumstances;
  • Your nationality.

If you are in work, you are usually eligible if you (and your partner, if applicable) are on sick or annual leave, or on parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave. Note that you cannot claim funding for any child that you are on parental leave for.

If you are not in work, you can usually apply if you’re due to start/re-start working within 31 days of the application. Also, if your partner is still in work while you are receiving Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or Employment & Support Allowance, you may still apply.

With regard to your earnings (whether working as a single parent or part of a couple that both work), in order to remain eligible:

  • You, and your spouse or partner if you have one living with you¹, must expect to earn at least the weekly equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Living Wage or Minimum Wage over the coming quarter. (That’s unless you are self-employed if you became so less than a year ago).
  • Neither of you will earn an Adjusted Net Income* of more than £100,000, including any bonuses, in the current tax year.
    * ‘Adjusted Net Income’ is your total taxable income before personal allowances less adjustments for things like Gift Aid.
    ¹ If your partner does not live in your household for more than 6 months of the year, or if they are in prison, their employment and income will not affect your eligibility.

With regard to your child’s circumstances, you will not be eligible for 30 hour childcare funding if your child doesn’t usually live with you. There are also different application mechanisms for foster parents, who will need to apply through their local authority or social worker.

When it comes to nationality, parents or their partners will be potentially eligible for 30 hour funding if they are from the UK or EEA (European Economic Area). Parents from outside the EEA would require a UK residence card that states that they can access public UK funds.

How & when to apply

Parents can apply for 30 hours childcare funding once their child reaches the age of 2 years and 36 months (that’s just over 2 years and 8 months of age). When they actually start depends upon when they reach the age of 3. Below, we include some application date guidelines which, if followed, usually ensure that parents receive their approval code in time:

  • If your child reaches the age of 3 between September and December, then the recommended time to apply for 30 hours funding is between mid October and the end of November that year. If successful, they will then be able to start in the January term.
  • If they turn 3 between January and March, then the recommended time to apply is between mid January and the end of February. If successful, they will then be able to start in the April term.
  • If they turn 3 between April and August, then the recommended time to apply is between mid June and the end of July. If successful, they will then be able to start in the September term.

Note that parents need to re-confirm their eligibility each and every quarter.

You can apply here but note that there can only be one account and application per child. Duplications (e.g. from a partner, ex-partner or additional claim) will be rejected.

Looking for free childcare funding for 2 year olds?

Do you have a child under three that needs childcare services? We wrote a detailed article about free childcare funding for 2 year olds too (click to learn more).

Further information

To discuss funding options or anything to do with childcare services, contact the staff at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. Please call 0121 246 4922 or email and we’ll be happy to help. We are a nursery and pre-school based in Edgbaston, very close to Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood and Smethwick near Birmingham, B16.

 

Coronavirus & COVID-19: temporary measures at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery

As many will have seen in the press, the Government has announced new guidelines and directives relating to Coronavirus and educational settings. That includes childcare nurseries and pre-schools. As such, Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery in Edgbaston is affected, so is obligated to make some temporary changes.

Temporary changes in the fight against Coronavirus & COVID-19

As directed by the Government, Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery will temporarily close to the public from 20 March 2020. However, it will not be completely closed. The Government asks that all nurseries and early years settings remain open for ‘vulnerable children’ as well as for children of ‘key workers’ who cannot work unless they have childcare in place.

What is a Key Worker?

Broadly speaking, the Government sees ‘key workers’ as anyone who is essential in the fight against, and recovery from, the virus outbreak. This includes front-line NHS staff, emergency services, supermarket workers, delivery drivers and pharmacy workers. It also includes members of the judiciary, essential financial service providers and transport workers. Charities and journalists are also included, along with many others. The list of those who can still send children to nurseries, childcare providers and pre-schools covers 8 core categories:

  1. Health & social care workers.
  2. Education & childcare workers.
  3. Key public service workers.
  4. Local & national government workers.
  5. Food producers/suppliers/distributors.
  6. Public safety & national security workers.
  7. Transport workers.
  8. Those working in utilities, communications & financial services.

Take a more detailed look at the list of key workers, in full, here.

Not on the list? Talk to us

We know how disruptive our partial closure will be to those parents who require nursery placements, but don’t fall into an eligible category. While our hands are tied by the Government directive, we promise that we will thoroughly consider individual circumstances.

Is free childcare funding affected?

One piece of good news is that the free childcare funding for 2 year olds and children aged 3 or 4 is not affected. The Government have confirmed that this is the case in the following statement: “…we will continue to pay for all free early years entitlements […] and we will not be asking for funding back from local authorities.

Contact Leaps & Bounds for further information

If you need further clarification or have any concerns whatsoever, please do contact us at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. We’ll be happy to answer any queries and to discuss anything related to Coronavirus and your child’s place at the nursery. Call 0121 246 4922 or email us here and we’ll be happy to help.

Stay safe and please be careful. If we work together, things should be back to normal before long.

Free childcare funding for 2 year olds

Parents of very young children may have heard of free childcare funding for 2 year olds. However, exactly how many funded hours are available for 2 year olds? How does it work? How do you apply for the funding and what exactly is on offer? Also, is the funding still available during the Coronavirus outbreak? This article is here to explain virtually everything you need to know about free/funded hours for childcare, specifically for 2 year olds. Take a few moments and we’ll cover the key points for you.

We’ll limit this article to the rules for only UK residents who require childcare for 2 year olds in England, seeing as that’s where our customer base and nursery are located. (We are a nursery and pre-school in Edgbaston, near Birmingham). We cover funding rules for 3 and 4 year old children in a separate article.

Free early years education or childcare funding for 2 year olds

Firstly, it’s important to know that the number of free/funded hours available for early years childcare largely depends on the age of the child concerned. In a nutshell, 2 year olds may be eligible for up to up to 15 hours of free childcare/early education per week. Eligibility depends on a variety of additional factors, as we’ll see.

Eligible children aged two years of age are entitled to up to 570 hours of free childcare or early education per year. This is usually taken as 15 hours per week spread over 38 weeks of the year. However, exactly how it’s taken can be flexible in reality. In order to be eligible, the child must fall into a qualifying category of ‘additional needs’. Alternatively, the parent(s) must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit.

Qualifying benefits

Those who receive the following benefits may be eligible: income-related JSA (Jobseeker’s Allowance); income-related ESA (Employment & Support Allowance); Income Support; Universal Credit (for low parent/partner income e.g. if it’s less than £15,400 per annum after tax); Tax Credits (for low family income e.g. if it’s less than £16,190 before tax); State Pension Credit (the guaranteed part); Working Tax Credit ‘4 week run-on‘ payments that are received after eligibility for Working Tax Credit has ceased; and finally support via ‘Part 6’ of the Immigration & Asylum Act. (That’s typically where a parent is claiming asylum but has not yet received a decision).

What if you later stop receiving benefits?

What happens if your 2 year old is already receiving 15 hours of free childcare/early education but you later stop being eligible to receive the relevant benefits above? Your child will usually continue to receive free childcare, despite the change in your circumstances.

Other categories for eligibility

Those who don’t qualify for the benefits above may still qualify if: the child is being looked after by the council; they’re in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (‘DLA’); they have a statement of Special Education Needs (‘SEN’); they have an Education, Health & Care Plan (‘EHC’); or they are no longer in living in care, having left under a Child Arrangements or Adoption Order or Special Guardianship Order.

When can you apply for free childcare funding for 2 year olds?

You can apply for free childcare/early education for your 2 year old during the term in which they first reach the age of 2. However, your child will need to wait until the start of the following term before they can actually attend. In practice, therefore, this usually means that your 2 year old can start attending from 1st of January/April/September following their 2nd birthday.

Who receives the actual funds?

The Government funding for 2 year olds goes directly from the local council to the setting, not to the parent or child. You will need to sign a form, which is usually supplied by the childcare provider.

The Government’s childcare/early years funding does not cover additional items like meals, nappies and suchlike. So, it’s important to check whether this is included at your nursery or early years education setting.

Can those on NRPF visas receive childcare funding?

Some parents or primary carers may fall into category where, on the face of it, they are not eligible for any of the benefits above. One common example is when they are subject to immigration control. Here, they may be claiming asylum but have not yet received a decision. However, if they are on what’s known as an NRPF visa (a ‘no recourse to public funds’ visa), they may still be eligible for funding for 2 year olds in certain cases.

How do you apply for 2 year old childcare funding?

It would be wise to contact Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery to discuss your potential application in the first instance. Funding will come from the Government, but will be filtered down via your local council. You can make your application via HM Government’s ‘Childcare Choices’ portal.

Is funding for 2 year olds impacted by Coronavirus/COVID-19?

Encouragingly, the Government has announced that free funding for 2 year olds will continue to be available despite nursery closures (from Friday 20th March for most*) caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. (More info). Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, said,

“… we will continue to pay for all free early years entitlements places, even in the event that settings are closed on the advice of Public Health England, or children are not able to attend due to coronavirus“.

*Schools, colleges and nurseries (including Leaps & Bounds) will close from Friday 20th, until otherwise directed by the Government. That’s except for children of key workers, such as NHS staff and emergency workers, and vulnerable children. (More info). We’ll publish more details on this topic in the next few hours.

Looking for free childcare funding for 3-4 year olds?

Do you have a child aged three or four that requires childcare services? We wrote a detailed article about free childcare funding for 3 & 4 year olds here (click to learn more).

Contact us for further information

To discuss any of the above with the staff at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery in Edgbaston, Birmingham, please call 0121 246 4922 or .