Funded early education and childcare for foster children 

Foster carers of children aged 9 months to 4 years old may be able to claim 30 hours of childcare, if they meet the below criteria and if it is deemed right for the child.

Carers are eligible if:

• accessing the funded hours is consistent with the child’s care plan, placing the child at the centre of the process and decision making
• in single parent foster families, the foster carer engages in paid work outside their role as a foster carer
• in two parent foster families, both partners engage in paid work outside their role as a foster carers. If one partner is not a foster parent, then they must be in qualifying paid work and earn a minimum of the equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum/living wage

HMRC is unable to perform the additional eligibility checks required, therefore the application process is managed by Local Authorities.

The application must be completed by the foster parent and counter-signed by a designated person determined by the responsible local authority to confirm eligibility. This is the child’s social worker.

Supporting evidence of employment must be provided, such as payslips.

For further assistance please contact the Children's Trust or fill out the form below.

Applying for 30 hours of childcare for foster children

Last updated 21 March 2025