Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative
Under the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative our Brislington and Shirehampton nurseries have a limited number of subsidised places available to residents in target areas who want to return to work and meet certain criteria. Places are subject to availability.

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. Further help is available for students in Higher Education and for NHS students.

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 please ask the Nursery Manager.’

Childcare Vouchers
We accept vouchers from all the major and local suppliers, including Accor, Care4, Family Matters, Busy Bees, Leapfrog, Bristol City Council (CIS), BAND and South Glos Council, Sodexho Pass, Allsave, Faircare, A4e.  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 80% of your childcare costs, up to £140 per week for families with childcare costs for one child and £240 per week for families with two or more children, subject to status. Parents / carers must be working a minimum of 16 hours per week.

Early education places
The Nursery Education Grant for all three and four year olds is currently worth £1,529.50 in Bristol and £1,577.00 in South Glos a year. All three and four year old children who attend a Mama Bear’s Day Nursery and who are not also attending an alternative setting are entitled to free early years education, comprising five 2 1/2 hour sessions per week for 38 weeks of the year. The cost of this is paid by the local authority to Mama Bear’s Day Nursery and deducted from your nursery bill accordingly.  The grant is payable pro-rata for fewer than five sessions per week.