Government funding
15 & 30 funded hours, made simple.
Most families using Mary in Islington qualify for some government funded hours. Here's a plain-English explainer of who's eligible and how we handle it.
Universal
15 hours
Available to all 3 and 4 year-olds in England, regardless of household income or working hours, from the term after their third birthday.
Some 2 year-olds also qualify — for example if a parent receives Universal Credit and earns under £15,400, if the child has an EHC plan, or if the child is looked after by the local authority.
Working parents
30 hours
Available from 9 months old through to school start, where each parent earns the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage, and neither parent earns more than £100,000 adjusted net income.
You apply through your gov.uk childcare account, then share the eligibility code with us.
How it works at Mary's
Three simple steps
1. Check eligibility
We'll talk you through which hours you qualify for at your visit.
2. Apply on gov.uk
You apply for your code through your government childcare account — we'll help.
3. Share your code
Send us your code and we'll claim your funded hours through Islington Council.
Funding is reconfirmed every three months. We'll send a reminder before each renewal so you never miss it.