Costs & support
Fees & Funding
Everything you need to know about session fees and the Government-funded early education places available at Ladybirds.
£6.50
per hour, payable half-termly in advance
Fees
- Fees are payable half-termly in advance.
- Fees must still be paid if children are absent. If your child is absent over a long period of time, please talk to Carol Childs, our manager.
- To keep your child’s place at our setting, fees must be paid.
- We are in receipt of nursery education funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds; where funding is not received, fees apply.
Free Early Education & Early Years Funding
We are pleased to offer funded early education and childcare places for eligible children through the Government’s Early Years Entitlements. Funding is provided to us by Kent County Council on behalf of the Government. It is intended to fund your child’s early education and childcare and is not a cash payment to parents. Funded hours will be offered during term time for 38 weeks of the year.
From 9 months old
Eligible working parents may be entitled to up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week, for up to 38 weeks of the year. Eligibility is based on the Government’s working-parent criteria, and parents must apply through the government’s childcare service and provide us with their valid eligibility code. This code will need to be re-confirmed every 3 months — failure to do this could result in children losing their entitlement until the following term.
For eligible 2-year-olds
Some 2-year-olds are entitled to up to 15 hours of funded childcare per week, for up to 38 weeks of the year. Eligibility depends on the Government’s criteria. Once eligibility has been confirmed, the entitlement remains in place until the child becomes eligible for their 3-year-old entitlement.
For 3- and 4-year-olds
All children are entitled to 15 hours of funded early education per week, for up to 38 weeks of the year. Eligible working parents may also be entitled to an additional 15 hours, giving a total of 30 funded hours per week.
Please note that funded hours do not necessarily cover additional services or costs such as snacks, meals, nappies, sun cream, additional hours or optional activities. Any applicable charges will be clearly explained to you before your child starts. Ladybirds does not charge parents a top-up fee to make up the difference between their usual fees and the funding received.
Parents accessing funded hours will be asked to provide the relevant eligibility information and complete a Parental Declaration Form. Eligibility codes must be applied for or reconfirmed by the relevant deadlines — 31st March, 31st August and 31st December — to ensure funding can begin at the start of the intended term.
As funding arrangements and Government eligibility criteria can change, we recommend that parents check the latest information on the Kent County Council website and with our setting before making childcare arrangements.