Guidance

Care to Learn guide: 2024 to 2025

Published 8 May 2024

Applies to England

1. Who this guide is for

This guide is for institutions with Care to Learn (C2L) supported students in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

The guide sets out the funding rules for C2L. Institutions must comply with the rules and must be able to show they comply with this guide at any audit.

Any references to ‘we’ or ‘us’ below are to Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), or to the Student Bursary Support Service (SBSS) acting on behalf of ESFA. Where we refer to ‘you’, this means education institutions (colleges, schools, academies, for example).

2.  A summary of C2L

C2L provides funding for childcare to help young parents (defined as those aged under 20) continue in education after the birth of a child. The scheme provides funding for childcare while the young parent is engaged in a study programme and is not able to provide care for their child. It can also help the young parent with any additional travel costs involved in taking the child to the childcare provider.

C2L provides funding for childcare while young parents are on work placements or industry placements, where these are a defined part of the study programme.

The weekly maximum amount for the 2024 to 2025 academic year is £180 per child per week and £195 per child per week in London. These are the maximum rates, with the actual dependent on childcare costs up to the weekly maximum amount.

To be eligible, the student must be the main carer for the child (and meet criteria for age and residency); the student’s study programme must have some direct public funding and their childcare provision must be registered with Ofsted. To receive C2L, the young parent, their education institution and their childcare provider must all meet the eligibility criteria in full.

Students must complete and submit a new application each academic year even if their study programme runs for more than one year.

Students should apply for C2L before the start of their study programme or as soon as possible after they start. If young parents apply after the start of their study programme, it is important they know that payments can only be backdated to the beginning of their study programme if their application is received within 28 days of the start date. For any applications received outside of this timeframe, payments will only begin from the Monday of the week the SBSS receive the application.

Stakeholders should tell young parents about the availability of financial support for childcare through C2L to help them make more informed decisions about their options. Some examples of good practice are included in this guide.

We expect young parents to take up the funded early education entitlement, where that applies, before applying for funding from C2L. Young parents may apply for C2L to cover any extra hours (over and above their funded early education entitlement) to complete their study programme.

3. Eligibility criteria

To receive C2L, the young parent, their education institution and childcare provider must all meet the eligibility criteria.

3.1 Eligibility: the young parent

Age

The young parent must be under 20 years old on the date they start their study programme. Young parents who become 20 years old during their study programme can continue to get funding to the end of that specific study programme, so to the end of the same programme at the same level.

Main carer for the child(ren)

The young parent must be the main carer and receiving Child Benefit for the child(ren) for whom they are claiming C2L. If a young parent loses custody of their child(ren), even temporarily, they must tell SBSS immediately. The mother or father of the child can claim C2L as long as:

  • the other parent is unable to provide childcare, for example, they are also in education or are absent
  • the other parent is not claiming childcare paid through any other source, for example, government funded early education places or Childcare Tax Credits

Living and studying in England

Young parents must be living and studying in England to receive C2L.

A London weighting applies to the scheme. The London weighted maximum is £195 per child per week. Eligibility for London weighting is determined by the young parent’s home address and applies to the following Boroughs:

  • Barking and Dagenham
  • Barnet
  • Bexley
  • Brent
  • Bromley
  • Camden
  • Croydon
  • Ealing
  • Enfield
  • Greenwich
  • Hackney and City of London
  • Hammersmith and Fulham
  • Haringey
  • Harrow, Havering
  • Hillingdon
  • Hounslow
  • Islington
  • Kensington and Chelsea
  • Kingston-upon-Thames
  • Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton
  • Newham
  • Redbridge
  • Richmond-upon-Thames
  • Southwark, Sutton
  • Tower Hamlets
  • Waltham Forest
  • Wandsworth
  • Westminster

Residency

The C2L residency criteria are the same as the residency criteria in the ESFA funding regulations for post-16 provision. This guidance also specifies the evidence institutions must see and retain for audit to confirm eligibility for post-16 funding (and therefore meet the residency criteria for C2L eligibility).

We recognise that a small number of institutions that do not have other ESFA funding currently access C2L. For these institutions, we have set out a broad summary of the residency criteria below, but we do encourage you to review the ESFA funding regulations to ensure that students meet the criteria and avoid funding errors being identified later.

In summary, to be eligible for C2L, the young parent must have the legal right to be resident in the UK at the start of their study programme. If a young parent indicates that they are not a British or Irish citizen, they will only be eligible for C2L if one of the following immigration conditions applies:

They are an asylum seeker aged:

  • under 18
  • a care leaver aged 18 or 19 (they must include an original letter from their local authority that shows their address and confirms they are a care leaver with their application)

They have:

  • refugee status
  • humanitarian protection
  • discretionary leave to remain
  • indefinite leave to remain
  • indefinite leave to enter
  • limited leave to remain
  • limited leave to enter
  • leave outside the rules

The ESFA funding regulations also include some information about student eligibility advice about European Economic Area (EEA) students residing in the UK.

3.2 Eligibility: the education institution and study programme

The young parent’s study programme must have some direct public funding. This funding must be paid directly to the education institution for the delivery of the young parent’s study programme. For most institutions, the funding will be from us for 16 to 19 provision, either paid directly, or paid via the relevant local authority.

For the small number of institutions that are not ESFA funded, other sources of public funding might be from an independent grant administrator of government funding (like the Arts Council or Sports England), a local authority, or funding awarded from the Big Lottery Fund or from charities.

A study programme is a defined programme of activities with a specified duration that leads to a set of outcomes agreed with the student. ESFA funded institutions will deliver study programmes by default as this is how and what our funding is for. For the small number of non-ESFA funded institutions, this definition is vital and must be complied with in full for C2L funding to be applicable. It does not mean there must be a formal qualification, but there must be a defined programme of study and a learning agreement in place and agreed between the student and the education institution. We may request a copy of the agreement as part of our audit and assurance processes.

Most students who receive C2L follow post-16 study programmes at ESFA funded institutions. These programmes generally last for 1 or 2 years.

A small number of students take part in non-accredited day sessions and short programmes within the community such as first aid, healthy eating and parenting. These programmes generally last for a few weeks or months and funding can be from a variety of sources. In all instances where funding is not paid by us, either directly or via the relevant local authority, you must have a formal funding agreement with the funding body. You must provide a copy of the agreement with your part of the application.

Study programme types

Examples of study programmes that young parents receiving C2L are enrolled on include:

  • school and college study programmes including GCSEs, A levels, BTECs and T Levels
  • non-accredited day sessions and short programmes such as first aid, healthy eating and parenting
  • work experience where providers and employers believe the student has a reasonable chance of being ready for employment or an apprenticeship within 6 months
  • further education (FE) study programmes in a higher education (HE) institution, including access courses and diplomas
  • foundation HE courses where they are followed at an FE institution, for example, a BTEC diploma

The following study programmes are not eligible for C2L:

  • privately funded education, for example, at an independent school or other institution where students are required to pay tuition fees
  • voluntary work that is not a required part of an agreed study programme
  • apprenticeships, because apprentices are paid by their employer
  • HE courses in an HE institution or FE institution, including courses leading to a first degree, Higher National Diploma, Higher National Certificate, diploma in HE, foundation degree or initial teacher training
  • Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), except for the very small number of young parents aged 19 but under 20 doing a HTQ funded by an advanced learner loan
  • social activities/groups where no actual programme of study takes place
  • any instances where a young parent is still looking after their child, for example, while they are undertaking a study programme with a childcare provider

Study programme duration

C2L will provide help with childcare costs for the duration of the young parent’s study programme. However, where young parents are enrolled on non-accredited, community-based courses like parenting and healthy eating, C2L will be payable for a maximum of 6 months for that programme. This rule reflects that these courses are designed for short term use to provide a particular set of skills or knowledge and/or to give the young parent the confidence to progress to other education or training.

Study time, work experience and industry placements

Young parents can claim C2L for independent study time required as part of their study programme to complete coursework or undertake revision or homework. The amount of independent study time must be agreed between the young parent and their education institution.

C2L will support time needed to undertake work experience and industry placements but only where these have been identified as an integral part of the study programme. The dates of placements should be included in the C2L application.

The costs associated with independent study time, work experience and industry placements will form part of the C2L weekly maximum amount (£180 per child per week and £195 per child per week in London).

3.3 Eligibility: childcare provision

C2L only pay for childcare provision that is registered with Ofsted. It must be registered in one of the following ways:

  • on the early years register with either Ofsted or a childminder agency
  • on the compulsory and/or voluntary part of the general childcare register with either Ofsted or a childminder agency
  • offered by schools (who are exempt from Ofsted registration for children aged 2+) such as school-run breakfast and after school clubs, and holiday care

Support for specialist provision on the Care Quality Commission’s register may also be granted on a case-by-case basis if general childcare provision is not suitable for the child.

The childcare provider must provide evidence of being registered with Ofsted, or, in the case of a school providing childcare, their unique reference number (URN). Childminder agencies that register with Ofsted on behalf of the childminders they represent must also provide evidence of their Ofsted registration.

Where a childcare provider is related to the child, the childcare provider must:

  • live apart from the child
  • be providing registered childcare for other children who are not related at the same time as the child they are related to
  • be Ofsted registered

4.  The application process: submitting the application

Applications for C2L must be made online through the SBSS portal. Guidance and support are available throughout the process.

4.1 Young parents

It is important all parties understand it is the young parent who applies for C2L. The application is in their name and they must be fully aware of, and fully understand, that they are applying for C2L. C2L applications must not be submitted by one of the other parties involved in the application process without the young parent’s knowledge and agreement.

We appreciate the help education institutions and childcare providers give to any young parents who experience difficulties completing the application. However, education institutions and childcare providers must not use the young parent’s log in details or seek to change the young parent’s log in details without their knowledge. These details are private and belong solely to the young parent.

To apply, the young parent must have an email address and must be able to provide:

  • their childcare provider details including the provider’s postcode and the name/email address of a contact person. It will be helpful to also have the contact person’s telephone number and the Ofsted URN of the childcare provider (not the registered person number)
  • the details for the education institution they will be attending including contact name, email address and phone number
  • details of any costs for additional travel they may wish to claim (this is for any extra travel they incur by taking their child to the childcare provider)
  • name, address, email address and contact details of their support worker (if they have one)
  • their immigration status if they are a not a British or Irish citizen

If the young parent does not know the Ofsted URN for their childcare provider, they should ask their childcare provider or search for it at Ofsted reports.

Once they have completed the application in full, young parents should ensure that they understand the privacy notice and read and agree to the declaration before they submit it. SBSS will send a notification to confirm the application has been successfully submitted.

After the young parent has applied, they must give their education institution evidence that confirms receipt of Child Benefit for their child or a copy of their child’s birth certificate.

Education institutions need these documents to complete their section of the application. We ask education institutions to remind any young parents who they know are applying for C2L about the importance of providing them with the required evidence. Payments to the young parent’s childcare provider cannot be made until the documentation is with the education institution. Education institutions must retain records that they have seen this documentation as it may be required for audit purposes.

4.2 Education institutions and childcare providers

After the young parent has submitted their application, SBSS will contact the education institution. They will ask them to provide further details via the SBSS portal to confirm the course or study programme details. After the education institution has completed their part of the application, SBSS will contact the childcare provider and ask them to confirm the childcare requirements.

SBSS cannot assess the application until all 3 parties have completed and submitted their part of the application.

The education institution and childcare provider must both ensure that they have read and understood the relevant declarations before submitting their separate parts of the application.

Where an education institution or childcare provider breaches the C2L rules, including, but not limited to, where we have recovered funding as a result, we may choose, at our absolute discretion, not to accept further applications from them.

4.3 Application support

Young parents can use the web chat facility or call the SBSS student helpline on 0800 121 8989 for help and advice with the application.

Calls to the student helpline are free from a landline, but there is a charge for calls from a mobile. Young parents can request a call back to minimise the cost.

We encourage support workers, childcare providers and education institutions to contact the SBSS provider helpline on 0300 303 8610 or use the web chat facility at any point during completion of the online application if they are unsure about what information or evidence is required.

5. The application process: assessment of the application

SBSS will assess the application to determine eligibility for C2L when all 3 parties have completed their part of the online process. These checks will verify whether the childcare provider, education institution and study programme are eligible.

The checks will include verification of the public funding paid to the education institution for the delivery of the study programme, the study programme type and its duration. SBSS will check that the childcare hours being requested are reasonable in comparison with the number of hours for the study programme. SBSS will also verify that the childcare provider is registered with Ofsted and that all the details provided match with the Ofsted registration details.

SBSS need to complete assessment of the application and any required evidence in full before C2L eligibility can be confirmed.

It is important education institutions and childcare providers (in particular) understand that no C2L payments are guaranteed until the application has been fully assessed and approved and a payment plan has been issued via their online portal account. Childcare providers should not provide any childcare on the assumption that they will receive C2L payments retrospectively. Any childcare provided where a payment plan has not been issued will not be paid for by C2L.

The following information must be supplied before any C2L payments can be made:

5.1 From the childcare provider or childminder agency:

  • business name, address, email address and contact details
  • childcare dates and fees
  • Ofsted URN (not the registered person number)
  • bank or building society account details (these will be verified by SBSS)
  • a declaration of any potential conflicts of interest between any of the parties involved with the C2L application, for example, a family relationship, shared directorship, or shareholding

5.2 From the education institution:

  • their UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN)
  • institution name, address, email address and contact details
  • a unique student reference for the young parent who is applying, as follows:
    • students’ unique pupil number (UPN) for those institutions that submit school census returns
    • students’ learner reference number (LRN) for those institutions that submit individualised learner record data returns
  • study programme name, level, and length. This must be the full study programme length, for example:
    • if the student is studying a 2-year level 3 programme starting on 1 September 2024 and ending on 17 July 2026, enter these dates
    • if the student started a 1-year level 2 programme on 2 September 2024 which ends on 17 July 2025, enter these dates
    • if the student studied at level 1 last year and is progressing to level 2 this year, even if this is in the same subject, this is a new study programme and only the dates for the new study programme should be entered
  • number of hours in the study programme each week, including any agreed work experience or industry placement
  • breaks in learning, for example half term, Christmas, and Easter
  • confirmation that the education institution is receiving direct public funding for the delivery of the study programme and the source of the funding
  • a copy of the agreement between the education institution and the funding body where the source of the public funding is not ESFA (this may be subject to additional checks by us)
  • confirmation that the education provider has verified that the young parent meets the residency criteria as part of their general enrolment checks
  • confirmation of any travel costs the young parent wishes to claim because of extra costs they incur in taking their child to their childcare provision
  • bank or building society account details – to pay travel costs and the administration payment by BACs (these will be verified by SBSS)
  • confirmation that the existence of the child(ren) to be cared for has been verified (via evidence that confirms receipt of Child Benefit for their child or a copy of their child’s birth certificate)
  • a declaration of any potential conflicts of interest between any of the parties involved with the C2L application, for example, a family relationship, shared directorship or shareholding

6. The application process: confirming eligibility

Once the application has been fully assessed, SBSS will confirm the outcome to the young parent, childcare provider, education institution and support worker (where applicable).

If the young parent is eligible for C2L, SBSS will issue a payment plan via the online portal that confirms the payment amount for each week and the dates for which childcare costs will be paid. This will include any travel costs, where applicable.

Where the young parent intends to use more than one childcare provider, SBSS will generate a payment plan for each provider. The combined amounts on each plan will not exceed the C2L maximum weekly amount.

Any changes during the academic year, for example, to the study programme or childcare arrangements, must be notified to SBSS as a change of circumstances on the portal. Changes may impact on the dates and costs set out in the payment plan.

If the young parent is not eligible for C2L, SBSS will notify them of the outcome and explain why. They will also notify their support worker if their details have been provided.

6.1 Late applications and backdated claims

If SBSS receives the application within 28 days of the start of the study programme, payments will be backdated to the course start date. Applications received later than 28 days after the course start date will only be eligible to receive payments from the Monday of the week SBSS received the application.

7. The administration of C2L

7.1 Payments

If the young parent is eligible for C2L, SBSS will make payments for childcare to the childcare provider or childminder agency. SBSS will make payments for the young parent’s travel costs to the education institution. All payments are made securely by the Bacs Payment Schemes Limited (BACS).

7.2 Childcare payments

C2L will pay towards the cost of childcare up to a maximum of £180 per child per week (up to a maximum of £195 per child per week if the young parent’s home address is in London). SBSS will make payments to the childcare provider or childminder agency each month in advance. Childcare providers must ensure that they understand that SBSS will not make any payments until they have received all the required information from the young parent, education institution and childcare provider and assessed the application to confirm it is eligible.

C2L will support childcare hours in reasonable excess of the study programme hours to allow time for the young parent’s travel between the education institution and the childcare provider, and for any independent study time undertaken, within the maximum weekly amount.

Summer retainers can also be paid to childcare providers to keep the childcare place open over the summer holiday period if the young parent is finishing study in one year and continuing the programme, or starting a new programme, in the next academic year. The young parent and their study programme must continue to meet the eligibility criteria for a summer retainer to be payable. Summer retainers must be applied for separately as they are not part of the main application.

Deposits of up to £250 per child can be paid to the childcare provider if required. The amount will be deducted from the first month’s childcare payment. If the first month’s childcare payment is not enough, the balance will be deducted from the second month’s payment. The childcare provider cannot have the deposit offset against the final weeks of the payment plan.

Registration fees charged by the childminder or childminder agency, up to a maximum of £80 per child, will also be paid by the scheme if requested. This is a one-off payment and will not be paid for subsequent academic years if the young parent is using the same childcare provision.

7.3 Travel payments

Young parents can claim for travel costs that are necessary to take their child(ren) between childcare and home. Travel costs are only paid where they are additional to their normal travel costs from home to their education institution.

The young parent should use the cheapest means of transport available – normally public transport. If the cheapest means is by car, the amount payable will be calculated using a rate of 25p per mile. Travel costs are not paid where the childcare takes place on the same site as the study programme.

The total of the childcare and travel costs must not exceed the C2L maximum weekly maximum amount.

As part of the application process, the education institution is required to confirm that the travel costs requested by the young parent are reasonable, based on their local knowledge. If the amount of travel requested seems high, SBSS may request more information from the education institution to support the claim.

SBSS pay travel payments to the education institution. The institution should make travel payments to the young parent or use it to arrange transport as appropriate.

If the young parent withdraws from their study programme, the education institution may be required to pay back any unused travel payments to SBSS.

7.4 Education institution administration payments

SBSS will make a one-off payment of £80 to education institutions for each new young parent accessing C2L. This is to support their administrative costs for the attendance monitoring requirements during the year. Only one payment will be issued per young parent per academic year. Payment will be made following confirmation from the education institution that the young parent is in attendance.

7.5 Attendance monitoring

SBSS will only make payments for childcare while the young parent is attending their study programme, and the child is in childcare.

SBSS will notify education institutions and childcare providers each month that they must complete an attendance monitoring report. The notification confirms when the attendance reports are available to complete on the SBSS portal and the date they should be submitted by. Payments will be withheld until reports from both the education institution and childcare provider(s) have been submitted and attendance has been confirmed.

Young parents and their child(ren) are expected to attend their respective provision for all the hours stated in the application. There may be occasions where this is not possible, for example, because of illness or family emergency. Education institutions should use their discretion and consider the number of absences and the reasons for absences to determine if the young parent has met reasonable attendance levels.

Education institutions and childcare providers must notify SBSS immediately if the young parent has stopped attending or has removed their child from childcare. When reporting that a young parent or child has withdrawn, it is important that the last date of actual attendance is notified to SBSS. This date will then be used to determine whether any further payments should be made.

8. Change of circumstances

SBSS must be notified immediately if any of the following change:

By the young parent:

  • their personal details, including their immigration status
  • travel costs between childcare and home – an increase, decrease or the young parent wishes to claim these for the first time
  • childcare arrangements – a change in the hours of childcare provided, a new or additional childcare provider(s), an additional child
  • study arrangements – a change in the number of hours for the study programme, a move to a new or additional education institution(s)

By the education institution/childcare provider:

  • bank details
  • childcare arrangements – a change in childcare fees, a change in hours of childcare provided
  • study arrangements – a change in the number of hours for the study programme, a change in course details, a change in hours for work or industry placements

9. Summer retainers

Summer retainers can be paid, if required by the childcare provider, to enable the childcare place to remain open over the summer holiday. Retainers are only paid if:

  • the study lasts for more than one academic year
  • the young parent is progressing onto a further study programme
  • the young parent is progressing onto university

To be eligible for a summer retainer, the young parent must:

  • have received C2L funding in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
  • be on a study programme that has lasted for 6 weeks or more in the academic year
  • be on a study programme that finishes no earlier than 26 May 2024
  • be continuing with the same childcare provider they used during the 2023 to 2024 academic year
  • have been using the childcare provider for a minimum of 6 weeks

Summer retainer applications are made online. Guidance to help complete the application is available in the SBSS portal. Any young parent who is unable to complete the application online should call the SBSS student helpline on 0800 121 8989.

The closing date for summer retainers for 2023 is 1 September 2024. SBSS will not assess or pay any summer retainer applications received after this date.

10. Audit requirements and overpayments

Education institutions and childcare providers must keep attendance and funding records. These need to be accurate, robust and up to date to ensure the effective reconciliation of payments and provide a clear audit trail. ESFA and its agents may require access to these records as part of audit and assurance processes.

Records must be retained for a minimum of 7 years or in accordance with the requirements of the public funding body if their specified retention period is greater.

Education institutions must retain evidence that they have verified the existence of the young parent’s child(ren). This is to confirm that they have seen evidence that confirms receipt of Child Benefit for the child or a copy of their child’s birth certificate, including recording the birth certificate number or child benefit reference. Evidence that the institution has verified that the young parent meets the residency criteria as part of their general enrolment checks should also be retained.

10.1 Recovery and withholding of C2L payments

C2L overpayments made because of fraud or error will be recovered.

If false or incomplete information is submitted that results in a fraudulent application being made, all C2L payments will be recovered. This includes all childcare payments, deposits, registration fees, summer retainers, travel payments, education institution administration payments and so on. We may also refer the matter to the police, and this could result in prosecution.

If there are grounds to suspect any aspect of the C2L application does not meet the eligibility requirements, payments may be withheld while an investigation is carried out. This might be, but is not limited to, because there are grounds to suspect the education institution is not receiving direct public funding for the study programme, that the childcare provider has been de-registered by Ofsted or that the young parent is not actually responsible for the child.

Where an education institution or childcare provider breaches the C2L guidance, including, but not limited to, where funding has been recovered as a result, we may choose, at our absolute discretion, not to accept further applications from them.

Where overpayments have been made as the result of error by the young parent, education institution or childcare provider, the action taken will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

11. Complaints and appeals

All complaints and appeals must be made to SBSS by registering the complaint or appeal on the SBSS portal. If the complaint/appeal is about operational processes or a complaint about customer service, SBSS will deal with it in the first instance. If a complaint is about C2L policy, SBSS will refer it to us.

If the complainant is still dissatisfied with the way in which their appeal/complaint has been dealt with, they may refer to the DfE’s complaints procedure.

12. Raising awareness of C2L

Stakeholders are encouraged to raise awareness of C2L and encourage young parents to apply. Some examples of how awareness can be raised are:

12.1 Joint working between further education colleges and the local authority

A group of college welfare advisors have a close working relationship with their counterparts in their local authority. This means local authority support workers continue to engage with young parents as they continue through from school to college and through to higher education. Support workers help young parents to complete their C2L applications and help them to find suitable childcare facilities.

12.2 Proactively promoting C2L at school and college open day events and developing information packs and posters

Some schools and colleges actively raise awareness of C2L by including it in open day presentations and events for young parents. Information is also included in information packs and posters; with posters being displayed in student areas to reach the maximum number of students. This can help students and prospective students who are parents but also raise awareness amongst students without children if their circumstances change later. We have provided a poster for use by schools and colleges. Please feel free to make use of the poster.

12.3 Checking if students might be eligible for C2L in college application forms

Some colleges have added a question into their general application and registration forms to ask, ‘Are you a young parent?’ This helps them to identify and approach students who will potentially need additional help with childcare costs.

12.4 Next steps – guidance from midwives and healthcare providers

Some midwives and healthcare providers include C2L in information packs they give to young parents and/or will raise awareness of C2L in discussions with young parents. This can be especially helpful to raise in the early stages of pregnancy so the young parent can make informed decisions about continuing in education after their baby has been born.

13. Inappropriate marketing of C2L

Education institutions and childcare providers must not market or promote C2L in any way that induces young parents to take up support to gain rewards or gifts. Examples of inappropriate marketing include offering shopping vouchers if the young parent joins a course and/or encourages another young parent to do so or offering free driving lessons if the young parent attends for a certain period.

14. Other sources of childcare support and C2L

All 3- and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds can access 15 hours a week of government funded early education for 38 weeks of the year. Working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds are entitled to 30 hours a week childcare for 38 weeks of the year. More information about childcare support is provided on the childcare choices website, which includes a childcare calculator for parents to compare all the government’s childcare offers and check what works best for their families.

We expect young parents to take up the funded early education entitlement before applying for funding from C2L. Young parents may apply for C2L to cover any extra hours (over and above their funded early education entitlement) to complete their study programme. This point is included in the declaration on the C2L application.

If a young parent is receiving Child Tax Credits, any childcare hours being requested for C2L payments must not already be being funded from Child Tax Credits. This point is also included in the declaration on the application.

15. Further information

Education institutions, childcare providers and providers of information, advice and guidance can call the SBSS provider helpline: 0300 303 8610.

For young parents:

  • portal: SBSS
  • phone: SBSS helpline: 0800 121 8989 (calls are free from a landline, charges from mobiles will vary depending on individual tariffs but young parents can request a call back to minimise the cost)
  • website: Care to Learn