Frequently Asked Questions
What is Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work?
The new childcare scheme is specifically aimed at providing childcare support for low income families with dependent children, where one parent is working and the other parent aged 20 years or over, is out of work and looking to participate in learning. The household income needs to be less than £20,000 in the previous tax year.
The new childcare scheme complements existing childcare schemes offered by the LSC and will help us to encourage a further 50,000 out of work parents back into learning or training that will improve their prospects of progressing into sustainable employment.
When will Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work be available?
The scheme will benefit learners from April 2009. The scheme will be rolled out nationally, across all 150 Local Authority Areas in England, from this date.
Who is eligible for Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work?
The Learner must:
· Be out of work
· Have a partner who is working for 16 hours or more each week
· Have had a household income of less than £20,000 in the previous tax year
· Be aged 20 years old or over at the point of application
· Be the parent or main carer of a child aged 14 years or under (or 18 years or under if the child has a disability)
· Meet the residency conditions for the scheme
· Be undertaking an LSC funded course (at level 3 or below) at an LSC funded provider
· Be using a childcare provider that is Ofsted registered.
How does a learner apply for the scheme?
Learners will need to complete an application form to apply for this childcare support. They will need to ensure that their partner, their Learning Provider and their Childcare Provider have also completed their relevant sections of the form.
The learner will then need to send all sections of their application form (in the pre-paid envelope provided) to the Learner Support Service (LSS), who will process the form to determine the learner’s eligibility for this support.
Where are application forms available from?
Application forms for the new childcare scheme will be available shortly.
Details of how you can access application forms for the new scheme will be communicated via our e-newsletter.
How much support is available?
Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work will pay childcare (and transport) costs of up to £175 per week per child (or up to £215 per week per child in London).
The weekly maximum will firstly be used to pay for childcare costs, however if the cost of childcare is less than the weekly maximum, the learner can also claim transport costs for travel between their home and the childcare provider. Please note, the total of the two payments must not exceed the weekly maximum amount.
How does Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work differ from the existing childcare schemes?
Currently the LSC offer childcare for young parents under the age of 20 years (Care to Learn) and adult parents over 20 years in Sixth Form Schools or Sixth Form Colleges (Sixth Form College Childcare).
This new childcare scheme is primarily aimed at providing childcare support for out of work adult learners over 20 years of age, who are not able to access the childcare element of working tax credit due to their caring responsibilities. The Learner must be part of a low income couple family with dependant children.
The main objective of the scheme is to get parents into learning that will help them progress into sustainable employment. It will enhance the childcare support currently offered by the LSC by encouraging a further 50,000 out of work parents back into learning or training that will improve their prospects of progressing into sustainable employment.
For more information on the existing childcare schemes run by the LSC, please go to http://moneytolearn.direct.gov.uk/
Which courses are eligible for this scheme?
A learner must be studying at a Learning Provider in England who is funded by the LSC and be undertaking a course that is funded (or part funded) by the LSC.
Unwaged courses up to and including level 3 are eligible for the new childcare scheme. The course can be delivered via a number of various routes, for example in an FE college or delivered as adult safeguarded learning.
There are no minimum or maximum course length criteria for courses supported by the new childcare scheme. Taster courses through to ‘A’ levels are eligible, providing that the course provides a clear learning outcome and is part of a progression route into sustainable employment.
Can learners who are undertaking unaccredited courses receive this support?
Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work will support learners on unaccredited courses, providing that the course is LSC funded.
Can apprentices receive this support?
Learners undertaking apprenticeships where they are unwaged and have un-employed status are eligible to receive Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work, providing that that they meet the other eligibility criteria.
Learners undertaking apprenticeships where they have employed status are not eligible to receive Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work.
Can learners who are undertaking distance learning courses receive this support?
Distance learning courses will not be eligible provision for the Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work scheme.
Can learners who are undertaking Train to Gain courses receive this support?
Volunteers on Train to Gain courses are eligible for Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work, providing that they are not also undertaking any paid work. However because the eligibility criteria for this scheme states that the applicant must be out of work individuals who are employed and are undertaking Train to Gain courses will not be eligible for this support.
Are ESF funded courses eligible for the Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work Scheme?
ESF courses that are co-financed through the LSC are eligible for this support, providing that the learning is taking place at an LSC funded provider or at a provider that is sub-contracted by an LSC funded provider.
Where the ESF co-financed course is delivered by the sub-contracted provider all learners on that course must be linked to the lead provider who is LSC funded. This is because it will be the lead, LSC funded, provider who will need to;
· complete the learning provider section of the learner’s application form;
· complete the monthly attendance monitoring forms; and
· receive and distribute the payments for travel costs to the learner.
Learners on LSC co-financed ESF courses who are eligible for the Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work scheme should claim their childcare support through this scheme. This includes learners on ESF courses that already include a childcare support element. If eligible, learners should claim childcare support via this scheme rather than claim the support through the ESF funding route.
Which childcare providers are eligible to provide childcare supported by this scheme?
Only childcare providers that are registered on the Ofsted voluntary or compulsory register are eligible to provide childcare supported by this scheme. Please note, this could be childcare delivered by a variety of providers including childminders, day nurseries and after school clubs.
When will the formal Guidance for the new scheme be introduced?
The formal Guidance for the new scheme will be published on this website in early 2009.
Which benefits are taken into account when determining household income?
Benefits such as Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit are not taken into account when determining household income. For full details of what will be considered in the income assessment please refer to the application form guidance notes in the application pack.
Why are Learning Providers not being given funds to cover the cost of administering the scheme?
We will not be offering financial support to learning providers for administering the programme. Free Childcare for Training & Learning for Work should not involve significant additional burdens on top of the reporting systems already in use – numbers are relatively small and the administrative burden is expected to be likewise.
Will Learning Providers be required to track the learners once they have finished their course to assess whether or not they enter sustainable employment?
Learning providers will not need to track learners who received this funding once they have completed their course. The Learning and Skills Council will be undertaking evaluation to assess the impact of this new scheme, as part of that evaluation we will be contacting learners to determine their outcomes after receiving the support.
Is there a percentage attendance requirement that learners need to meet?
In general we would expect that learners and their children are attending their provision for all of the hours stated on their application form. However, we recognise that there will be occasions where it is not possible for either the learner and /or the child to attend, for example in the case of illness. For this reason there is no required level of attendance for this scheme. Providers should use their discretion to assess the number of absences and the reasons for these when deciding whether or not reasonable attendance has been met.
If a learner or child is ill and the childcare provision is not used will the childcare provider still be paid?
Yes, if the parent is still undertaking their course then the childcare provider will still be paid for periods where the childcare is not used because of illness of either the child or the learner.
Will this scheme cover the costs of childcare for independent study time?
Learners can claim Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work for independent study time needed as part of their course. This time may be used for completion of course work, revision or homework but the parent must still keep within the maximum allowed support of £175 per week (£215 in London). Arrangements for study time as part of a course of learning will need to be agreed between the parent and the learning/training provider and entered on the application or change of circumstances form.
Will this scheme cover the costs of childcare whilst the learner is travelling to and from their learning?
The scheme shall support childcare hours in reasonable excess (i.e. no more than 10 hours per week) of learning hours to allow for travel between learning provider and childcare provider. Costs for travel between home and the childcare provider may also be claimed if the cost of the childcare is less than the weekly maximum.
Will this scheme cover the costs of childcare needed whilst a learner is undertaking a work placement?
This scheme will support time needed to undertake work placements provided that they are an integral part of the course and have been identified on the learner’s application form.
How do I find out more?
You can find out more about the new scheme by calling the helpline on 0845 600 2809. We also produce a monthly e-newsletter to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest information. These e-newsletters are available online, however, if you would like to receive a copy by email please let us know at freechildcare-adults@lsc.gov.uk .
