FUNDED EARLY YEARS CHILDCARE - OVERSEAS
Assigned overseas with young children? Find out if you can benefit from an expansion to funded childcare.
The Ministry of Defence have expanded the childcare offer for families assigned overseas with 9 months – 4-year-old children, to reflect the offer available in England.
Early Years funded childcare overseas and definitions of funded universal childcare, working families and additional working families entitlement:
Universal Childcare Entitlement - ALL Defence families assigned overseas with accompanying pre-school aged children, for whom they have parental responsibility, are entitled to the Universal childcare entitlements of 15 hours of ‘free’ childcare for a 3- or 4-year-old.
Working Families Entitlement - An eligible working family is a family where both parents i.e. the Defence person and their spouse/partner (or a sole parent in a lone parent family), are in paid employment, or starting work within the next 31 days, and earning the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the UK National Minimum Wage.
Additional Working Family Entitlement - These are ‘free’ childcare entitlements over and above the Universal entitlements (see definition). Only eligible working families (see definition) are entitled to additional ‘free’ childcare entitlements (as detailed in Paragraph 3. of the DIN).
For more information about the Early Years Childcare available in England, please go to Early Years childcare | Childcare Choices (GOV.UK) or contact Armed Forces Families Safeguarding (AFFS) by email at PEOPLE-AFFS-Child-Expenses@mod.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 Full Time Reserve Service - Full Commitment (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 (per person).
What do parents need to do?
• Check eligibility by reading the Defence Information Notice (DIN) content.
• Identify a suitable Defence Children 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.
• In addition, the family must present a letter from Attenborough School stating as the sole DCS provider in location it is unable to provide provision.
• 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.
Full information can be found in the new DIN:
Who to Contact:
1.if you have questions about claiming the entitlement (once authority has been granted):
a. GSU administered personnel - contact GSU Imprest.
b. Non GSU administered personnel – contact own Unit HR Admin teams.
2. Attenborough School (2+) for all Service and Civilian personnel:
a. Attenborough School @ attenborough.sbm@modschools.org
3.Who to contact if you have any general questions:
a. Early Years childcare funding overseas – email @:
PEOPLE-AFFS-Child-Expenses@mod.gov.uk
4. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document and dependent on circumstances will address most aspects of the provision. It can be accessed through the link:
20240910-FAQ_EY_Funded_Childcare_FAQ.pdf