If you have identified an education, training or employment programme and you are unable to source any childcare support to attend, the Local Authority have made a commitment to provide financial support for childcare while you attend your education, training or employment.

Care to Learn Fund

What you'll get 

You can get up to:

• £160 per child per week if you live outside London
• £175 per child per week if you live in London

What it covers

Care to Learn can help with the cost of:

• your childcare, including deposit and registration fees.
• a childcare taster session for up to five days.
• keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays.
• taking your child to their childcare provider.

Payments

Childcare payments go directly to your childcare provider.

Before they can be paid:

• Your childcare provider needs to confirm your child’s attendance.
• Your school or college needs to confirm that you’re attending your course.
• Travel payments go direct to your school or college - they’ll either pay you or arrange travel for you.

When payments stop

Payments end when:

• You stop attending your course.
• You reach the end of your course.
• Your child stops attending childcare.

You can get Care to Learn if:

• You’re a parent under 20 at the start of your course.
• You’re the main carer for your child.
• You live in England.
• You’re either a British citizen or a national of a European Economic Area (EEA).
• Your course qualifies.
• Your childcare provider qualifies.

If you qualify

• You’ll get a letter and a payment plan telling you what financial help you can get.
• Your childcare provider will also get the payment plan, to let them know when they’ll be paid.

If you’re eligible for travel costs, your learning provider will be told about payments for this.

If your circumstances change

You must report any change to your circumstances, including to your:

• personal details
• childcare provider
• hours of childcare
• childcare fees
• travel costs
• course, learning programme or learning provider
• study hours (including private study or time to take exams).

Benefits

Claiming Care to Learn won’t affect your family’s benefits or allowances.

Your course

Care to Learn is only available for publicly-funded courses in England. This includes courses that take place in:

• schools
• sixth-forms in schools and sixth-form colleges
• other colleges and learning providers, including Foundation Learning
• your community at Children’s Centres.

Your learning provider can tell you if your course is eligible.

Your childcare provider

To qualify, your childcare provider must be registered with Ofsted. They can be a:

• childminder
• preschool playgroup
• day nursery
• out of school club.

Who can’t get Care to Learn

You’re not eligible if:

• You’re an apprentice who gets a salary.
• You’re doing a higher education course at university.

How to Claim

Find out more about claiming.

Help

Contact the Student Bursary Support Service if you need advice or help:

Student Bursary Support Service
c2l@studentbursarysupport.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 121 8989
Textphone: 0800 917 6048
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm