Introduction

If you’d like your child to attend a Mama Bear’s Day Nursery you may be eligible for assistance with the cost through a number of initiatives. For more information, including contact details, please ask the Nursery Manager.

Childcare Vouchers

We accept vouchers from all the major and local suppliers, including Accor, Care4, B&NES, Sodexho, Faircare, All Save, Kiddi Vouchers, Early Years, Family Matters, Fideliti, Imagine/Mid Counties Co-op, Kids Unlimited, Busy Bees, Leapfrog, Bristol City Council (CIS), BAND and South Glos Council. Ask us if you have vouchers from another source.

Childcare element of Working Tax Credit

The Working Tax Credit has a Childcare element that will pay up to 70% of your childcare costs, up to £175 per week for families with childcare costs for one child and £300 per week for families with two or more children, subject to status.  Parents / carers must be working a minimum of 16 hours per week.

Financial support for young parents and students

Care to Learn aims to give financial support up to £5,000 per child per year to teenage parents (including dads), who want to continue their education or training, or are returning to education or training and need help with the cost of their childcare. £32 million is also available through the Learner Support Scheme to help students with childcare costs. Priority is given to single parents and those on low incomes, and the fund can be used to support the costs of any registered childcare.

For more information on help with fees for student parents, as well as lots of other useful related information visit: http://www.studentparents.org/

Free Nursery Entitlement for 3 and 4 Year Olds

From 1st September 2010 every child is entitled to up to 15 hours free nursery provision per week during term time from the term after their third birthday until they start school. These sessions are funded by the Local Authority and may also be subsidised by the care provider.

Parents/carers apply for the entitlement on a termly basis via the nursery. This is a simple process which we will help you with.

In line with the DCSF and the Local Authority’s Code of Practice Mama Bear’s are offering the free entitlement flexibly as detailed below. Please note though that some places may be limited with availability on a first-come, first-served basis.

1. As part of an all year round, fee-paying nursery place. In this case the first 15 hours per week (with a maximum of 6 hours in any single day) during term time are free of charge.
2. Three free 5 hour sessions per week, term time only for 38 weeks of the year. These will usually be afternoon sessions from 1.00pm to 6.00pm but morning sessions may also be available. These sessions include meals and snacks, which are not funded by the FEEE and therefore a charge per session of £2.50 for morning snack and lunch and £1.50 for afternoon tea will be made to cover the nursery’s costs.
3. Five free 3 hour sessions per week, term time only for 38 weeks of the year. Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am and afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. These sessions include drinks but no meals.

Want more information?

Visit http://www.payingforchildcare.org.uk/ for the Daycare Trust's excellent guide. Includes information for all families, including working parents, families living with a disability and student parents.

How your fees are spent