Free education for two-year-olds
Some families in Medway can receive free early education for their two-year-old. This can be a place in a pre-school, nursery or with a childminder for up to 15 hours per week.
Who can apply?
• Early Learning for two-year-olds with children aged 2 years – check if you meet the criteria.
• Eligible working families with children aged from 9 months.
You can apply for your working family code up to 16 weeks before your baby turns 9 months old. The deadline to receive a code is the end of the month before a new term begins. We recommend you apply at least 6 weeks before the deadline. The deadlines are:
| If my child turns 9 months old between | I can access 30 funded hours from | And I need to apply by |
| 1 January to 31 March | Term starting on or after 1 April | 31 March |
| 1 April to 31 August | Term starting on or after 1 September | 31 August |
| 1 September to 31 December | Term starting on or after 1 January | 31 December |
How do I apply?
Select and click on the link below that applies to you:
Early Learning for Two-Year-Olds
or
Working families
How do I find out if my child is eligible for early learning for two-year-olds?
To find out if your child is eligible, you will need to access our parent portal and begin by either signing in or creating an account.
At the end of the process, you will receive an email confirming your application and you will need to do one of the following:
- If you are eligible, the email will show your child’s name and a code and you should take this email to your chosen provider.
- If you are not eligible, you will need to send us further information. Please read the email you receive for details of what to send us.
Why should I apply?
When your child attends a pre-school they will play with other children, and be helped by qualified staff to learn and develop well. They will explore and experiment, and learn to share and socialise – all of which will help them to be ready to start school when they are older.
For further information please contact the Family Information Service on 01634 332195 or email familyinfo@medway.gov.uk.
When can my child access their free place?
- A child born on or between 1 April and 31 August will become eligible for a free place from 1 September following their second birthday.
- A child born on or between 1 September and 31 December will become eligible for a free place from 1 January following their second birthday.
- A child born on or between 1 January and 31 March will become eligible for a free place from 1 April following their second birthday.
Please note your child should not start nursery until a valid code is confirmed, otherwise you could incur some costs.