top of page
Serious Child

Help with childcare costs and additional funding for children with SEND 

There are funding options available to help parents and carers to pay for childcare and early education. 

Find out more about the funding available for children aged 2-4 years as we explore what you are entitled to as well as further information for working parents and tax credits, the voucher scheme and more.

Help with childcare costs 

You may be entitled to funded early education and other support to cover your childcare costs.​

​

For more information, about all of the below entitlements and to find out your eligibility, click here.​

  • 15 Hours Funded Education for 2 year olds​

  • 15 Hours Funded Education for 3 & 4 year olds​

  • 30 Hours Funded Education for 3 & 4 year olds​

  • Tax Free Childcare for ages 0-11 or 16 if disabled​

  • Tax Credits for ages 0-15 or 16 if disabled​

  • Universal Credit for ages 0-16​

  • Support while you study​

​​

The Government recently announced upcoming changes to childcare support​

The financial support that is available to parents to help with the cost of childcare is increasing. These include major changes to make it easier for parents with childcare responsibilities to move into or take on more paid work. Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By, September 2025, working parents with children aged 9 months old to when they start school will be eligible for 30 hours childcare support. For more information click here.​

Additional funding for children with SEND

Disability Living Allowance​

If your child has SEND you may also be entitled to Disability Living Allowance. Click here for more information. If your child has Disability Living Allowance, they are aged 3 or 4 years of age and attend an Early Years Setting, the setting are eligible to receive Disability Access Funding (DAF), which is £828 per child per year and can be used to ensure your child is able to access a fully inclusive provision. ​

​

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Early Years Inclusion Fund​

Every local authority must have a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inclusion fund to support early years providers in meeting the needs of individual children with SEND. In Northumberland, inclusion funding is known as Early Years Short Term Additional Resource (EYSTAR).​

​

EYSTAR is:​

  • For 2, 3 and 4-year-olds who are taking up funded entitlement in any Early Years Setting.​

  • Targeted at children with lower level or emerging SEND to support the implementation of strategies that are additional to or significantly different from what is normally provided as part of quality first teaching by that setting to other children of the same age.​

  • Applied for by the early years setting and discussed and approved by the EYSTAR Panel.​

  • Paid in 10-week cycles. Early Years settings can apply for up to 3 cycles of funding per age related entitlement for a child.​

  • Not intended to provide a ‘1:1 support worker’ to be with your child at all times. Northumberland Local Authority recognises that children may need additional adult support at certain times of day or for specific activities but does not endorse children having 1:1 adult support at all times.​

  • Intended to provide specific support tailored to your child’s needs and their individualised learning outcomes. 

You are in Early Years > Help with childcare costs and additional funding for children with SEND (this page) 
Other useful areas in this section:

AEnB2Uq0jzW-I1gunv1EhQOmA2UIycqbT2yNsi4AU8fdzIcViRPUDGpwPVqR_lu0ITYoD6C-XpKyUbAiYR4Rvpz4eO

 What is SEND? 

Stacking Blocks

 Services who offer SEND 
support 

_edited_edited_edited.png

 Support for children with 
additional needs and/or 
SEND in Early Years settings 

Two people outside together

 Education Health Care Plans 
(EHCPs)  

Happy Girl_edited_edited.jpg

 Early Years and childcare settings in 
Northumberland 

Student packing their backpack

 Transition (Moving on) 

bottom of page