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<p>The department wants parents to have access to a range of affordable childcare,
giving them increased flexibility in their working hours. The government funded early
years entitlements is intended to deliver 15-30 hours a week (for 38 weeks of the
year) of free, high quality, flexible childcare for eligible two-, three- and four-year
olds. It is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables (such as nappies
and sun cream), additional hours or additional services (such as trips) and providers
may charge parents for these.</p><p>While many providers will offer 15-30 hours of
free childcare per week during term time (38 weeks of the year), this offer can be
delivered flexibly. All of the free entitlements can be stretched by taking fewer
hours per week over up to 52 weeks of the year to cover term-time and the school holidays.</p><p>Some
providers will only offer free hours during school term times or only offer free hours
stretched over the year whilst others provide a mixture of the two. As set out in
the department’s statutory guidance for local authorities, to ensure that parents
can make informed decisions on their choice of childcare, providers should publish
a statement of how they deliver the free entitlements and any additional charges for
optional activities.</p>
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