Website of the UK government

Are you eligible for Care to Learn?

You can usually claim Care to Learn funding if you are living in England, and can answer “yes” to the following five questions.

If you’re not sure, call the Learner Support helpline.

• Contact the Learner Support helpline

Question one: are you under 20 years old?

To get Care to Learn, you must be under 20 years old on the day your course or learning programme begins.

As long as you begin the course before you are 20, Care to Learn will contribute towards your childcare costs until the course has finished.

The sources of help with childcare costs are different if you're aged 20 or over.

• Help with childcare costs if you're aged 20 or over

Question two: are you caring for your own child or children?

You can claim Care to Learn either as the child’s father or mother, as long as:

• the other parent is unable to provide childcare (because, for example, they are working)
• the other parent is not claiming the childcare element of Working Tax Credit

If you have more than one child, you can get help for each of them.

Question three: do you meet the residency conditions?

To get Care to Learn from September 2009, you must:

• live in England, and
• be either a British citizen or a national of another country within the European Economic Area (EEA)

If you don’t meet these conditions, you may still be able to get Care to Learn. For advice, call the Learner Support Service on 0800 121 8989 – or check the guidance notes that come with the application form.

• Contact the Learner Support helpline

Question four: does your learning qualify?

Care to Learn is only available for learning that has some public funding.

Your options include:

• courses in schools, sixth forms, sixth form colleges, other colleges and learning providers 
• Entry to Employment (e2e) programmes
• Apprenticeships (with non-employed status)
• courses in your community - for example, at Children’s Centres

University and higher education courses are not covered by Care to Learn. For information on help with childcare costs in full-time higher education, follow the link below.

• Help for higher education students with children

Question five: is your childcare registered?

To get Care to Learn, you must use a childcare provider which is registered on the compulsory part of the Ofsted Childcare Register or on the Early Years Register. This type of registration means the childcare must meet certain safety and quality standards.

Your options might include a childminder, day nursery, pre-school playgroup or out-of-school club.

If you want a relative to look after your child, you’ll only be able to get Care to Learn if the relative is registered on the compulsory part of the Ofsted Childcare Register or on the Early Years Register - and they are providing care for other children.

• Search for Ofsted inspection reports Opens new window

What Care to Learn pays for

Care to Learn will pay up to £160 per child per week (£175 in London) to cover the cost of:

• childcare while you're learning, on placement linked to your course or programme of study, doing private study or travelling between home and your childcare provider
• any registration fees (up to £80) and any deposit normally charged (up to £250)
• a childcare 'taster' aimed at helping your child settle in before the learning starts
• fees you need to pay during holidays to keep the childcare place open
• additional travel costs you have to pay so you can take your child from home to the childcare provider

The childcare provider will receive payments direct from Care to Learn. Any funding to help with travel costs will be paid directly to the learning or training provider regularly, and they will reimburse you.

If your circumstances change

You will need to complete a ‘Change of Circumstances Form’ if your learning, childcare or personal details change while you are receiving Care to Learn.

For more information, see ‘How to apply for Care to Learn’.

• How to apply for Care to Learn

Effect on other benefits or allowances

Care to Learn will not affect your own or your family's benefits or allowances. You do not have to be on benefits in order to claim it.

• Expecting or bringing up children benefits (money, tax and benefits section)

• Financial help for lone parents (parents section)

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and the Adult Learning Grant (ALG)

As well as Care to Learn, you may be able to get up to £30 a week through EMA (if you're 18 or under when you start your course) or ALG (if you're over 18).

• Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

• Adult Learning Grant (ALG)

How to apply

To get help with childcare during your learning, apply for Care to Learn as soon as you decide what you want to do.

• How to apply for Care to Learn