Funding for children aged 5 and under

Find out about funding your childcare provider can apply for to support your young child

All childcare providers have resources to support special educational needs and disabilities.

Find more information on support and childcare for young children on Essex.gov.

For some children, more help is needed. There is funding that your childcare provider can apply for to give your child more support.

Speak to your child’s nursery or pre-school, childminder, breakfast, after-school or holiday club and ask if they can apply.

Special educational needs inclusion funding

If an early years setting is on the Ofsted register, they can apply for inclusion funding if they are a:

  • childminder offering funded early education entitlement (FEEE)
  • nursery or pre-school offering FEEE
  • school with a nursery offering FEEE
  • breakfast, after-school and holiday club 

Speak to your childcare provider to discuss if inclusion funding is an option.

Disability access fund

A childcare provider, such as a nursery can receive a payment of £910 per year (from 1st April 2024) to help with your child’s needs.

As a parent you’ll need to:

Speak to your childcare provider to discuss how best to support your child.

Early years pupil premium

If you’re on certain benefits, your childcare provider could receive extra funding to help support your child.

Find out more about early years funding on GOV.UK

Help with childcare costs

Find out about funded early education and childcare on essex.gov.uk

More financial support with childcare

Explore help with childcare costs from government schemes, such as free school meals and child tax credit, on essex.gov.uk