Defence have expanded the childcare offer for families assigned overseas with 9 months – 4-year-old children, to match the entitlement in England.
Early Years funded childcare overseas
To reflect the offer available in England, all families assigned overseas with children aged 3 to 4 years old, and 2-year-old children in receipt of additional government support, are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week during term time.
From September 2024 additional funded hours are available for eligible working families during term time. Find out if you are eligible for 15 hours a week for children aged 9 months to 3 years, or 30 hours a week for children aged 3 to 4 years.
For more information about the Early Years Childcare available in England, please go to Early Years childcare | Childcare Choices (GOV.UK).
When can parents assigned overseas access the funded childcare hours?
From September 2024 Eligible working families will be entitled to up to 15 hours of funded childcare for their 9 months to 3-year-old child(ren) from the term after they turn 9 months old and for up to 30 hours funded childcare for their 3–4-year-old child(ren) from the term following their third birthday.
From September 2025 eligible working families will receive up to 30 hours of funded childcare for children aged 9 months old to school age.
Who is eligible?
- Regular Service personnel including FTRS (FC)
- UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) assigned overseas with accompanying pre-school aged children. Fee-paying contractors cannot apply.
To be eligible for the additional funding available to working families, both parents i.e. the Defence person and their spouse/partner (or a sole parent in a lone parent family), must meet the minimum earnings threshold, of at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum or Living Wage, and not exceed the maximum earnings threshold of £100,000 per year.
What do parents need to do?
- Check eligibility by reading the DIN content.
- Identify a suitable Defence Childrens Services (DCS) setting.
Where there is no DCS provider, or if DCS are unable to meet the requirements of the family, Overseas Nursery Authority (ONA) can be applied for and used. However, the childcare provider must be registered, regulated and inspected by the host nation.
Get sign-off from Commanding Officer, Commander, or Head of Location for non DCS Providers, or the Head Teacher / Early Years Manager for DCS providers.
Keep supporting evidence/receipts of application forms and ongoing claims for audit purposes.
Further information is available on Gov.uk at the following link: Childcare for Service children - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Full information can also be found in the new DIN, accessible on MODnet,2024DIN01-085-Funded childcare entitlements and processes for overseas Service personnel and UK Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) with accompanying pre-school aged children, which replaces the ONA and 30 hours childcare DINs.
Further information and guidance will be added to the Defence Childcare Information Page and Discover My Benefits in the upcoming weeks.
Early Years childcare within the UK
Defence remains committed to enabling access to appropriate, enriching, and safe childcare for the children of Service families.
There is a commitment to look at the ‘offer’ that is in place throughout the UK and overseas. This piece of work will consider the totality of the offer, not just in relation to childcare, and may not result in any changes.
Who to contact if you have any questions.
Early Years childcare funding overseas, email:
PEOPLE-AFFS-Child-Expenses@mod.gov.uk