Three and four year old children are entitled to free early years provision. In Cambridgeshire, free places are available in:
- pre-schools
- playgroups
- day nurseries
- independent schools
- accredited childminder networks
- Local Authority nursery schools/classes, reception classes or units.
The entitlement is a maximum 15 free hours per week over a 38 week school year. The free hours are exempt from any additional charge or top up but hours in excess of the entitlement are charged for. The full entitlement can be spread evenly across the year but with fewer hours per week, depending on what your childcare provider offers.
Please contact your early years/childcare provider to find out about their offer of the free entitlement. For more details of the scheme, please see the Information for Parents/Carers document.
Free twos (funding for two year olds)
There are a limited number of funded places available in Cambridgeshire for the most deprived two year olds. Children’s Centres working with the families of the two year olds will be responsible for making any referral for a place. For more details, download the Free Twos Information document.