Funded hours change how a contract has to be written. The hours must be free to parents, extras must be optional, and invoices must show funded and private hours separately. A contract for a funded place needs to make all of that visible from the first page.
Which funding the child gets
There are three main entitlements in England: 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds from families getting some extra support, 15 universal hours for all three and four-year-olds, and the working parents entitlement of up to 30 hours from nine months old. Your contract should say which one the child has, because it decides how many hours are free and the parent has to keep their eligibility code valid.
Term time or stretched
The hours are funded for 38 weeks a year, which is 570 hours for 15 hours or 1,140 hours for 30 hours. You can deliver them in term time only, or stretch them across more weeks of the year, which means fewer funded hours each week but some in the holidays too. Your local authority's agreement says what it allows. Say clearly in the contract which you offer, and show the weekly split for term time and holidays.
Splitting funded and private hours
Show each day with its hours, the funded hours and the private hours, and the charge. A parent should be able to see at a glance that the funded hours cost nothing.
From a GoChildmind contract
Funded hours are free. I do not charge for funded hours. No payment, deposit, registration fee, retainer or top-up is a condition of your child taking up a funded place.
Put your own details in, freeRead the full sample contract
Extras, notice and absence
Meals, nappies and trips can be charged only if they're optional, with a way to opt out. Funded hours stay free during notice, illness, holidays and closures. My funded hours guide covers the extras rules in detail, and the parental declaration guide covers the form you complete with the family.
Questions people ask
Can a childminder charge for 30 hours? No. Funded hours are free to parents. You can charge your normal rate for private hours on top, and for optional extras.
Do I have to offer stretched funding? It depends on your local authority's provider agreement and what you choose to offer. Say which in your contract.
GoChildmind works out each child's term-time and holiday weeks, funded and private hours, and the monthly figure, whether you deliver term time or stretched.