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Funded Childcare Hours

15 & 30 free hours, made simple

Little Vita’s Nursery accepts every government childcare entitlement — universal 15 hours, working-family 30 hours and funded 2-year-old places. Here’s what you can claim and how we help you claim it.

Book a Visit See Sessions & Fees

The three entitlements

What your family can claim

15 hrs

Universal funded hours

All 3 and 4-year-olds

Every 3 and 4-year-old in England is entitled to 15 funded hours a week, term time, regardless of family income. The funded portion has zero fee at Little Vita — you only pay for additional sessions, meals or care beyond the entitlement.

30 hrs

Working-families hours

Eligible 2, 3 and 4-year-olds

Working families can double their entitlement to 30 funded hours a week, term time. Apply through childcarechoices.gov.uk to get your eligibility code — we will help you set it up and reconfirm it each term.

15 hrs

2-year-old funding

Eligible 2-year-olds

Some 2-year-olds qualify for 15 funded hours through the local authority, means-tested by Enfield. We accept this funding in full and can help you check whether your family qualifies.

Families join us from Southgate, Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green, Oakwood, Cockfosters and across Enfield and Barnet — funded hours follow the child, wherever you live.

How to claim your hours

Four steps, and we help with all of them
1

Check what you can claim

Visit childcarechoices.gov.uk — the official government checker — to see which entitlement fits your family. It takes about ten minutes.

2

Get your code

For working-family hours you’ll receive an 11-digit eligibility code. For universal 15 hours no code is needed — your child’s age is enough.

3

Bring it to us

Share your code, your National Insurance number and your child’s birth certificate with our admissions team. We validate everything with Enfield and apply the funding to your place.

4

Reconfirm each term

Working-family codes must be reconfirmed every three months on your government account. We send friendly reminders so nothing lapses.

Check your eligibility on childcarechoices.gov.uk

Funding FAQs

Funding questions families ask most
Are funded hours really free at Little Vita’s Nursery?
Yes. The funded portion of your child’s place carries zero fee. You only pay for what sits outside the entitlement — extra sessions, extended-day care, or catering. Our Sessions & Fees page shows exactly what each pattern costs with funding applied.
Do funded hours apply all year round?
Government funding covers term-time weeks. From September 2026 we are open 51 weeks a year — for full-year places the funding offsets the term-time weeks and we quote the remainder individually.
Can I use 30 hours across fewer days?
Yes — many families take 30 hours as three full days. We’ll help you shape a weekly pattern that uses your entitlement efficiently. Minimum attendance is two sessions per week.
We live outside Enfield — can we still claim?
Yes. Funded hours follow the child, not the borough. Families from Barnet, Haringey and beyond can use their entitlement with us in Southgate — the process is exactly the same.
What about Tax-Free Childcare?
Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside funded hours to pay for additional sessions and extras — the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in. You can set this up on the same childcarechoices.gov.uk account.

Not sure what you qualify for?

Bring your questions to a visit — our admissions team checks entitlements with families every week and will tell you exactly what your place would cost with funding applied.

Book a Visit Call 020 8449 8336