Foster carer guide to claiming 30 hours of free childcare

Some 3 to 4 year old children in foster care may be able to receive 30 hours free childcare if:

• accessing the extending hours is consistent with the child's care plan
• there is a single foster parent family, the foster parent is engaging in paid work outside their role as a foster parent
• there are 2 foster parents in the same fostering household, both are engaging in paid work outside their role as a foster parent.

Foster carers will need to talk to their social worker. The worker must complete a separate form before an eligibility check. This is not done through HMRC.

Eligible foster carers must also reconfirm their details every 3 months. This is completed through a Reconfirmation Statement. Speak to your social worker to complete to start this process.

If you are fostering a child from outside of Kent, you should contact the supervising social worker from that authority. You can apply through them for the funding.