Child Care Facilities

Hours of Opening

Fees

Financial Assistance with Child Care in the College Nursery

If you are a student at the College, full or part time, child care will be subsidised in the College Nursery if you have not had to pay course fees because you are in receipt of or are an unwaged dependant of someone who is in receipt of:
• Jobseekers Allowance (where this is a payment, not solely a National Insurance credit)
• Income Support
• Housing Beneft
• Council Tax Beneft
• Working Tax Credit
• Employment & Support Allowance

Free Childcare for Training and Learning to Work is a new government scheme which will pay the child care provider directly. The payment will be up to £175 per week to cover the costs of child care and associated travel.

To be eligible for this scheme, all of the criteria below must be met:
• A parent of a child or children aged 14 or under (18 or under for children with disabilities)
• In a family where the partner is in work
• Household income is £20,000 or under in the previous tax year
• The learner can be in paid employment for up to 16 hours per week
• Be undertaking an appropriately funded course (at level 3 or below) at an LSC funded provider
• Be using a child care provider that is Ofsted registered such as South Downs College Nursery

There is no minimum or maximum number of learning hours that an eligible parent has to undertake in order to qualify for this scheme For further details, or if you have any queries contact Rachel Harden on 023 9279 4606.

How to Enrol Your Child

As soon as you are sure of the hours of your course you may reserve a place for your child, telephone the College Nursery on 023 9279 7974. To reserve a place you will be required to pay a deposit of £10 – in order to have your £10 deposit refunded you will be required to attend the reserved place or cancel child care provision at least 5 working days prior to your start date.

Regular Bookings:
If you have a weekly class or classes you are welcome to reserve a place for the whole year. In order to keep fees as low as possible, the Nursery will charge the full fee if you do not use a reserved place – unless your child is suffering from a contagious disease.

You are most welcome to visit the Nursery at any time, but if possible please avoid the lunch time period between 12.00 – 1.30pm, as this is a particularly busy time in the Nursery. To reserve a place in the College Nursery or for further details, contact the Nursery on 023 9279 7974.

Under the Early Years Education Scheme the Council will pay for:
• 15 hours a week during the Hampshire County Council school term

If you are not entitled to subsidised fnancial assistance from the College and your child is at the Nursery for longer than the free sessions you have asked them to claim for your child, then the Nursery will charge you top up fees separately.

Financial Assistance with Off-Site Child Care

You may also qualify for fnancial assistance with off-site child care. This is a College scheme and would help towards the cost of child care whilst you are attending College.

To apply for subsidised child care please obtain an Eligibility Form from the Student Services Offce. Forms are available from the end of August. You will need to provide evidence of entitlement and have completed your Learning Agreement, before payments for child care can be made.

Please note that if you leave your course before 1st October 2010, you will be expected to repay your child care fees in full.

Parents are only required to contribute the frst 50p per hour for the frst child up to a maximum of 20 hours (£10) per week and 50p per hour for any further children up to a maximum of 10 hours (£5) per week.

Therefore, for the frst 20 hours for the frst child, and the frst 10 hours for subsequent children, the College will pay a maximum of £5.50 per hour. After this the College will pay a maximum of £6 per hour. For further information on off-site child care contact Rachel Harden on 023 9279 4606. Your child care will only be subsidised when you are attending classes for which you have enrolled. We can also provide subsidised child care when you are taking examinations or on work experience for those classes. If you wish to work in the Learning Resources Centre you will be required to pay full fees, as you will when on a lunch break.

If you are a full time student over 20 and not eligible for subsidised child care you may be eligible forsubsidised child care expenses from the College Learner Support Fund. Please contact Catherine Sillence, Student Services, by telephoning 023 9279 7969 or in person at the Student Services desk.

Updated 01/07/10