Three- and four-year-old children in foster care are eligible for up to 30 hours funded childcare where the foster carer meets certain eligibility criteria, giving foster families the same support as other families where it is right for the child.
From September 2025, children from the age of 9 months in foster care are also eligible for 30 hours funded childcare, where the foster carer meets certain eligibility criteria.
Eligibility
Children in foster care can receive up to 30 hours funded childcare if all of the following apply:
- accessing the funded hours is consistent with the child’s care plan
- in single-parent foster families, the foster parent engages in paid work outside their role as a foster parent
- in two-parent foster families, both partners engage in paid work outside their role as a foster parent
- if one partner is not a foster parent, they must be in qualifying paid work and earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the national minimum or living wage
There is no requirement on the type of work or number of hours that foster parents must work in order to access the funded hours, and there is no general minimum earnings limit (you must be engaging in paid work). The maximum income threshold is £100,000.
How to apply
The childcare service cannot complete the additional eligibility checks for foster families. Foster carers must apply through the responsible local authority (the authority looking after the child).
If Central Bedfordshire Council is the responsible authority:
- contact the performance team to request an application form: cpeiadmin@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
- when the form is completed, it must be signed by the child’s social worker to confirm the funded hours meet the child’s care plan
- include evidence of paid income outside the role of foster caring, for example a payslip, P60, or (for the self-employed) a tax return
- return the application by email to cpeiadmin@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk so it can be checked and approved by Central Bedfordshire’s designated officer in the early years and childcare team
- once approved, the performance team will email the foster carer (copying in the social worker) with the eligibility code
- the eligibility code starts with 400 and is treated the same way as a standard code
- the eligibility code must be re-confirmed every 3 months with the issuing local authority – to re-confirm, contact the performance team at cpeiadmin@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
When to apply
You can claim funded hours from the term after your foster child turns 9 months old, or the term after the eligibility code is issued – whichever is later. We recommend applying at least 6 weeks before the end of the term before your foster child becomes eligible.
If you do not confirm eligibility and receive your 11-digit code by the dates below, you will not be able to access the funded hours until the start of the next term:
- child turns 9 months between 1 January and 31 March
- when you can access a place – summer term (after 1 April)
- application agreed by – 31 March
- child turns 9 months between 1 April and 31 August
- when you can access a place – autumn term (after 1 September)
- application agreed by – 31 August
- child turns 9 months between 1 September and 31 December
- when you can access a place – spring term (after 1 January)
- application agreed by – 31 December
Where to get help
Performance team email – cpeiadmin@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk