Manchester City Council provides funding to support eligible children to access early education and childcare.
Providers can offer the following funded childcare entitlements.
Working parent entitlement
Eligible working families can access funded childcare for children aged 9 months to 4 years.
Parents must apply for an eligibility code through their Government Childcare Account before funding can be claimed.
See eligibility criteria for Working Parent Entitlement
Application deadlines
To access funding from the start of a term, a valid eligibility code must be issued by the dates below.
- Spring term: 31 December
- Summer term: 31 March
- Autumn term: 31 August
If a code is issued after the relevant deadline, funding cannot be claimed until the following term.
Please note that parents and carers may need to reconfirm their eligibility before the next term to ensure their code remains valid.
Provider responsibilities
Providers are responsible for monitoring the status of eligibility codes throughout the year.
Reports within the EYES portal can help identify codes approaching their reconfirmation deadline. Providers should encourage parents and carers to reconfirm their eligibility with HMRC when required.
Early Learning for 2-Year-Olds
Eligible 2-year-olds can access up to 15 hours of funded childcare per week.
Eligibility is based on family circumstances, including receipt of certain benefits, or where a child meets specific criteria, such as being looked after, previously looked after, receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or having an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
See eligibility criteria for Early Learning for 2-Year-Olds funding
Where a family may be eligible for both Early Learning for 2-Year-Olds funding and the Working Parent Entitlement, providers should complete checks for both funding streams. This ensures the child receives their full entitlement under the correct funding criteria.
Universal Funding for 3 and 4-Year-Olds
All children aged 3 and 4 are entitled to up to 15 hours of funded early education per week, regardless of family circumstances.
There are no eligibility requirements for this funding offer.
When children can access funding
Children can access funded childcare from the term after they reach the relevant eligible age.
- Children who reach the eligible age between 1 April and 31 August can access funding from 1 September (Autumn term).
- Children who reach the eligible age between 1 September and 31 December can access funding from 1 January (Spring term).
- Children who reach the eligible age between 1 January and 31 March can access funding from 1 April (Summer term).