Do You Qualify for Free Childcare?
Hounslow Council launch new online eligibility checker
Families in Hounslow can now check if their two-year-olds are eligible for free childcare with a new online service.
Up until now, to find out if their child was eligible for 15 hours of free childcare per week, parents had to contact the council by phone or email and await a response after submitting information.
The council's new system links straight to the Department for Education and means that parents and carers can input the information themselves and receive an instant response as to whether or not they qualify.
After confirming that they meet the requirements, families can download a free childcare voucher. They can then take this to their chosen child-minder, pre-school playgroup or day nursery so they can access their free childcare immediately.
The online checking system also directs families to a list of childcare providers in their local area who provide free childcare places and are registered with Ofsted.
The Council say it's quick and easy to use the system – you just need to provide:
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The child's date of birth.
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The parent, carer or guardian's National Insurance (NI) number or National Asylum Support Service (NASS) number.
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The parent, carer or guardian's date of birth.
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The parent, carer or guardian's surname.
Councillor Tom Bruce, Cabinet Minister for Education and Children's Services, says: “This new online checker will make it much easier and more efficient for families to check if they are eligible for 15 hours of free childcare for their two year old. The technology means that families get an instant answer and are directed straight to childcare providers in their local area, all in one place.
“We want to provide the right services in the right place for families who need them most, and hopefully now more people will check what services they are eligible for.
“We know that these early years of a child's life are of critical importance and we want to do all we can to ensure that every child in our borough gets the best possible start in life.”
For more information on how to access the online checking service visit www.hounslow.gov.uk/free2
August 15, 2015
