Claim Childcare with the Learner Support Fund

Am I eligible to claim for childcare?

If you are eligible for fee remission when you enrol on one of LALS courses, then you are also eligible for the Learner Support Fund in some form or another.  The amounts learners are entitled to claim for childcare  are reviewed each year to ensure they meet the needs of our learners and you can find more details on our Financial Support pages, including a digital copy of the application form which you can download, complete and return to our Business Support teams.

How can I claim?

Click the link below to read and complete the learner support application form.  You will then need to return the completed form to our Business Support colleagues in your venue (you can do this by email or by printing the form and bringing it with you to class). After this our Business Support team will advise you of the process of how to make claims.  You will only have to complete the form once per course in any academic year to ensure eligibility.

opens in new WhicChildcare providers can I use?

Which childcare providers can I use?

We can only reimburse your childcare costs if you use an Ofsted registered provider. This could be a registered childminder, nursery or creche. We cannot reimburse family members for childcare they are providing for you unless they are formally registered as as a childcare provider.

How does the childcare provider get paid?

There are two options for paying for the costs of childcare using the Learner Support Fund.

• Some childcare providers will provide us an invoice and let us pay them directly. The payment from us is retrospective, and providers will usually be paid within 28 days of receipt of invoice.
• If your childcare provider isn’t able to invoice us directly,  you can pay the cost yourself and then claim it back using your receipts. We do not provide payment for fees in advance, and your claim would be paid via bank transfer (BACS). This could take 6-8 weeks to set-up prior to your first payment.

If you already have a childcare provider that you and your child are comfortable with, it is worth having a quick chat with them to see if they are able to invoice us directly BEFORE you apply for the Learner Support Fund.

How many hours of childcare can I claim?

You can claim for the hours you are in class and up-to 1-hour either side to cover travel. So, if you are in class 2-hours per week, then you can claim up to 4-hours as needed.

Do you pay for childcare in the daytime only?

We will cover childcare costs during the hours of your learning with us, regardless of when and where that learning is taking place. So that includes daytime, evening, weekend and online classes.

Will you cover my childcare provider’s food costs?

We only cover for the childcare hours itself, if your provider has any food costs you will need to be pay for these yourself.

How many sessions can I miss?

We will pay for up to 3 missed sessions per term to cover things like sickness, transport failures or other unforeseen situations that stop you being able to attend your class.  Anything after that will need to be paid by yourselves.  Please ensure our Business Support team are aware of your absence so that they can make a note on the register.

My provider is at least 35 minutes from the venue, do I have to pay additional time to keep my child in care whilst I travel to and from the venue?

We will pay 1hr either side of your class time to allow for you to drop off/pick up children. So, if you are in class 2hrs per week, then you can claim up to 4hrs as needed.

What if I have more than one child?

The amounts you can claim for childcare are per child. So, if you have 3 children in nursery during the hours of your class, the limits on what you can claim would be multiplied by 3.

What if I have more than one class a week?

We will cover multiple classes/sessions per week if that is how your courses is structured. Similarly, the claim limits are per course, per term, so if you are enrolled on more than 1 course, you can claim for each.

So, if you are on 2 courses with us (or your course has 2 sessions per week) and sessions are 2-hours each, then you would be able to claim for a total of 4-hours of childcare, and up to 4-hours for travel to and from your provider for drop-off and pick-up.

Is there a limit to the amount I can claim back?

Childcare is capped at £446 per child per course per term.  If you are concerned that this amount may not cover your costs please talk to our Business Support colleagues on site. Exceptions can be made following an agreement with the appropriate manager.

I am only just 19 years old, can I still apply for childcare?

You have to be over 20 years old to be eligible for the Learner Support Fund. However… Learners who are under 20 years old are able to apply for a separate scheme called ‘Care to Learn‘ which can cover the costs of childcare. Ask us in centre for more information or help.

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