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<p>The government provides the following childcare support to parents and foster parents:</p><ul><li>15
hours of free childcare a week for disadvantaged 2 year olds. This applies to all
families in receipt of Universal Credit, with an annual net earned income equivalent
to - or less than - £15,400. It also applies to families in receipt of benefits that
currently entitle them to free school meals and those receiving working tax credits
(with an annual gross household income of no more than £16,190). Equally, it applies
to children entitled to certain benefits or support for a disability or special educational
need and looked after children and certain children who have been in care, including
those who have been adopted.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>15 hours of free childcare a
week for all 3 year olds and 4 year olds, worth around £2,500 a year on average.</li></ul><p>
</p><ul><li>30 hours of free childcare a week for working parents of 3 year olds and
4 year olds with working parents. 30 hours of free childcare is available to families
where both parents are working (or where the sole parent is working in a lone parent
family) and where each parent earns a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national
minimum wage or living wage. This also includes self-employed parents.</li></ul><p>
</p><ul><li>Help with up to 70% of childcare costs for people on low incomes through
working tax credits. In April 2016, this help increased to up to 85% through Universal
Credit, subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for 2 or more children.</li></ul><p>
</p><ul><li>Tax-free childcare, for which 1.5 million families who have childcare
costs will be eligible. For every £8 parents pay into an online account, the government
will pay £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year, for children
aged under 12. Parents of disabled children will receive extra support (worth up to
£4,000 per child, each year and until their child is 17).</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Childcare
vouchers provided through some employers, allowing parents to save money by paying
for childcare from their pre-tax salary. This scheme is closed to new applicants from
October 2018.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Shared Parental Leave, giving parents the chance
to share up to 50 weeks’ leave and up to 37 weeks’ parental pay in the first year
following their child’s birth or adoption.</li></ul><p>It is the responsibility of
the local authority to ensure that every child that is eligible for the 15 hours and
30 hours of free childcare is able to access a place. Local authorities also have
a statutory duty to provide parents with information, advice and guidance on their
websites about how these childcare offers can be accessed locally.</p>
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