Free childcare places for 2-year-olds
If you are you the parent/carer.
Did you know the Scottish Government is funding free childcare places for eligible 2-year-olds? Do any of the following apply?
- Job Seekers Allowance (Income-based)
- Income Support (IS)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Incapacity or Severe Disablement Allowance
- State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (CTC) but not Working Tax Credit (WTC) and your income is less than £16,105
- Both maximum CTC and maximum WTC income is under £7320
- Universal Credit and your household take-home pay is £610 a month or less
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Looked after by the local council, subject of a Kinship or Guardianship Order
What am I entitled to?
In Scotland, all children aged 3 or 4 years old and some 2 year-olds are eligible to receive a funded nursery place in either a Council nursery, a private, voluntary or independent (PVI) nursery or a childminder who has a partnership contract with us. Currently we are offering all children aged 3 or 4 years old and some 2-year-olds, 1140 hours per year. This is currently offered in all Stirling Council settings in five 5 hour block sessions across the week.
Please note, it is not always possible to guarantee that this provision will be in your first choice of setting.
Can I get help with the cost of childcare?
Your employer may be able to help you with approved childcare costs using childcare vouchers or schemes. Further information is available on Gov.uk’s childcare page.
When does my child become entitled?
Children become eligible for places in the term after their third birthday.
Places for children under 3
There is no entitlement to nursery places for children under 3, other than for those 2-year-olds who meet the criteria set out in the Children and Young People Scotland Act.
We provide 5 nursery places for children under 3 but these are popular therefore an Admissions Policy is applied to ensure fairness.
