Help with Childcare Costs

Where to start…

Choosing childcare or early years education for your child is a huge step for you and your family. There are lots of different childcare options across Torfaen for you to choose from. Torfaen Family Information Service (FIS) can inform you of the choices.

Did you know…

You may qualify for help towards the costs of childcare if the childcare you use is registered. The Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is responsible for the registration and regulation of childcare in Wales. You can check with the Family Information Service if your childcare provider is registered with CIW. You can also request the registration number directly from your provider.

The following information provides sources of help with childcare costs. Only general information is given, as eligibility depends on circumstances and income. Parents therefore need to liaise with the contacts given to receive more detailed information on accessing this financial help.

Tax Free Childcare

If eligible for Tax Free Childcare, you could get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child has additional needs (up to £4,000 a year). If eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, you will set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your registered childcare setting. You can use Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as the Childcare Offer for Wales if you’re eligible for both.

Universal Credit

Eligible families might be able to claim up to 85% of their registered childcare costs through Universal Credit.

The Childcare Offer for Wales

The Childcare Offer for Wales provides eligible parents with a mixture of early education (between 10 – 12.5 hours) and childcare (between 17.5 – 20 hours) for children aged 3 or 4 up to 48 weeks per year. Parents are not required to access their early education entitlement as a prerequisite to accessing the childcare element of the Offer, however, their entitlement will include these hours whether they access them or not. If additional early education hours are offered/accepted, the amount of childcare hours will be reduced accordingly.

Student Finance Wales

If you are a student and paying for registered or approved childcare, you may be entitled to extra financial help. Details on the Childcare Grant can be found here.

Childcare for service children

From Autumn 2022, eligible Service personnel (Tri-Service) can apply for up to 20 hours per week, term time only (39 weeks per year) of wraparound childcare funding for 4 to 11 year old children attending before and after school clubs in the UK. Details on Childcare for service children can be found here.

Other Government Advice

• Help with the cost of childcare
• Child Benefit
• New baby - what tax credits are you entitled to?
• Children with disabilities - can you get extra Child Tax Credit?
• Childcare vouchers and tax credits - better off calculator
• Childcare Vouchers - Paying for Childcare
• Report changes that affect your tax credits
• Universal Credit

Early Years Intervention

Speak to your Health Visitor if you are or your child are struggling and need that extra support. Contact the central Health Visitor line on 01633 431685.