Your child may be entitled to funded childcare hours through the government. MiChild accepts all funded places across our 14 nurseries, and our nursery managers can guide you through the options available to your family.
All children aged three and four are entitled to 15 hours of funded early education per week, regardless of your income or working status. This begins the term after your child turns three and continues until they start reception class. No application is needed from parents; simply provide your child’s birth certificate and sign a declaration form at the nursery.
If you are a working parent, you may be eligible for up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week for children aged nine months to four years. Eligibility begins the term after your child reaches the qualifying age. To qualify, you (and your partner, if you have one) must each be earning the equivalent of at least 16 hours per week at National Minimum Wage, with an adjusted net income below £100,000 per year. Parents on maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave may also be eligible in certain circumstances. You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old through your Government Gateway account. Funded hours begin the term after your child reaches the qualifying age.
Government-funded hours are provided for 38 weeks of the year. Families have the flexibility to take their funding on a term-time basis (38 weeks) or stretch it across 52 weeks, receiving fewer hours each week but the same total over the year. Speak to your nursery manager about how best to use your entitlement.
Working parents may also be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, a separate government scheme that helps with childcare costs not covered by funded hours. For every £8 you pay into an online childcare account, the government adds £2, up to £2,000 per child per year (or £4,000 for disabled children).

Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside your funded hours and is accepted at all MiChild nurseries through the Famly app. You can link your Tax-Free Childcare account directly within the app and pay your nursery from there.
We know that starting nursery is a big step for the whole family. That is why our settling-in process is designed to be as gentle, gradual, and reassuring as possible.
MiChild nurseries offer flexible funding sessions designed to suit the needs of working families. Because each of our 14 nurseries has different opening hours and session structures, we encourage you to speak directly with your nursery manager for detailed information about the sessions available at your chosen setting.
At MiChild, we use Famly, a trusted third-party nursery management platform, to keep you connected with your child’s learning and development.
