Care To Learn

Overview

If you’re studying and aged under 20 at the start of your course, Care to Learn can help pay for your childcare costs while you’re learning.

It’s only available for courses in England that have some public funding. This can include courses in:

• schools
• school 6th forms
• 6th form colleges

Eligibility

You can get Care to Learn if:

• you’re a parent under 20 at the start of your course
• you’re the main carer for your child
• you live in England
• you’re either a British citizen or a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country
• your course is publicly funded (check with your school or college)
• your childcare provider is registered with Ofsted or the Care Quality Commission

Type of course

Care to Learn is only available for courses in England that have some public funding.

This includes courses that take place in:

• schools
• school 6th forms
• 6th form colleges
• other colleges and learning providers, including Foundation Learning
• your community at Children’s Centres

Type of childcare

The childcare provider must be registered with Ofsted. If the child needs specialist childcare, the provider must also be on the Care Quality Commission’s register for specialist provision.

If you want a relative to get Care to Learn for looking after your child they also need to be both:

• providing registered childcare for children they’re not related to
• living apart from you and your child

Who can’t get Care to Learn

You’re not eligible for Care to Learn if:

• you’re an apprentice who gets a salary
• you’re doing a higher education course at university

What You Could Get

You can get up to:

• £160 per child per week if you live outside London
• £175 per child per week if you live in London

What it covers

Care to Learn can help with the cost of:

• childcare, including deposit and registration fees
• a childcare ‘taster’ session (up to 5 days)
• keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays
• taking your child to the childcare provider

Types of child care

The childcare provider can be a:

• childminder
• pre-school playgroup
• day nursery
• out of school club

Payments

Childcare payments go directly to your childcare provider. Before your childcare provider can be paid:

• your childcare provider needs to confirm your child’s attendance
• your school or college needs to confirm that you’re attending your course

Payments for travel costs go to your school or college – they’ll either pay you or arrange travel for you.

Attendance

Payments will stop if:

• you stop attending your course
• you finish your course
• your child stops attending childcare

How to Claim

To get an application form and guidance notes call the Learner Support helpline.

If you have one, give the details of your support worker. The Learner Support Service might need to contact them.

What you need to know

You need to complete an application form each year you want to claim.

You must apply within 28 days of starting your course so that your childcare provider is paid from the beginning of your course.

If you apply after that, your childcare provider will only be paid from t

he beginning of the week that your application was received.

Where to send the form

A pre-paid envelope comes with the application pack – if you lose it send your form to: