There are a number of non-maintained settings that are approved to provide early education and receive funding. (You can see the full list here.) This means that they follow the Curriculum for Funded Non-Maintained Nursery Settings and are inspected by Estyn to ensure that the education they offer is of an acceptable level.
Catchment areas for school nurseries do not apply.
Parents may choose either a school nursery or non-maintained approved setting in Monmouthshire.
Funding is available from the beginning of the term following the child’s third birthday (term dates are defined as 1st January, 1st April and 1st September regardless of when school holidays fall).
The funding is currently set at £10 per session (2 hours), for five sessions a week, as long as these sessions are on different days. The funding is comparable with the funding school nurseries receive per part time pupil. Your child is permitted to attend each setting for the two hours a day free of charge but if the session is longer than two hours and you wish your child to stay for the full session available, you will be required to pay a top-up fee.
Parents can choose how many sessions they wish to attend but a child must attend a non-maintained setting for a minimum of three sessions per week in order to be eligible for funding.
The funding may be claimed at more than one approved non-maintained setting (but no more than two settings) as long as it doesn’t exceed five sessions a week and each session is on a different day
Providers will be required to complete a claim form detailing the children registered at the setting and confirming their date of birth. Providers will be required to verify children’s date of birth by examination of the child’s birth certificate.
Providers will be funded once a term and the Local Authority will aim to pay providers within four weeks of receiving their claim. Invoices must be received within three weeks of the start of term. Parents should not be asked to sign parental application forms prior to six weeks before the start of term. The forms (invoices) submitted by providers will be subject to checks by the Local Authority to verify the total claims against pupil details.
There will be no adjustments to funding once the provider has received it; therefore, if a child leaves the setting during the term, the provider can keep the grant to maintain staffing levels for the rest of that term.
If a child is attending a school nursery and an approved non-maintained setting, funding cannot be claimed for the non-maintained setting as the funding for that child is with the school nursery.
Monmouthshire County Council do not provide any financial support for childcare places, which includes parents who receive benefits of any kind. There may be some support available through other avenues, such as tax free childcare and the 30 hour free childcare offer for eligible working parents.
If you require further information on early education funding please contact Monmouthshire Early Years and Childcare Hub on childcare@monmouthshire.gov.uk.
Download our Financial Support booklet to find out if you are eligible for any other kind of support: