Early years and childcare

Help with childcare costs

The schemes you can access depend on your child’s age and your personal circumstances.

Childcare options for under 5s

How to find childcare that meets your needs. This includes childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Childcare options for school children

Find out about breakfast, after school and holiday clubs and where to access them.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme

FREE activities with food for children, young people and families throughout the school holidays.

Children's centres

Details and locations of your local children's centres, including services and activities for families with children under 5 years old.

Maternity

Maternity services and local activities, pregnancy and starting a family, support after you have had a baby.

Start for Life

Start for Life support is available through our family hubs, for you and your family. Support is available from pregnancy to birth, from 0 to 36 months.

Progress checks for 2 year olds

All children aged between 2 and 3 years old must be assessed to see how well they are developing.

Speech, language and communications needs guide

A guide to support your child's communication needs.

Toilet training guide

How we support parents and children with toilet training (continence).

Work in childcare

Childcare roles and where to go to access training and government funded opportunities.

Register as a childminder

What you need to know about what registered childminders do, how to register and where to access training and opportunities.

Childcare Sufficiency Assessment

How and why we look at the childcare that is being provided locally, the gaps in the market and what we do with this information.