Care to Learn can help with childcare costs while you’re studying if you’re under 20 at the start of your course.

It’s only available for publicly-funded courses in England.

This can include courses in:

• schools
• 6th forms in schools
• 6th form colleges

You can get up to:

• £160 per child per week if you live outside London
• £175 per child per week if you live in London

What it covers

Care to Learn can help with the cost of:

• your childcare, including deposit and registration fees
• a childcare taster session for up to 5 days
• keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays
• taking your child to your childcare provider

Payments

Childcare payments go directly to your childcare provider. Before your childcare provider can be paid:

• your childcare provider needs to confirm your child’s attendance
• your school or college needs to confirm that you’re attending your course

Payments for travel costs go to your school or college - they'll either pay you or arrange travel for you.

Attendance

Payments will stop if:

• you stop attending your course
• you reach the end of your course
• your child stops attending childcare

You can get Care to Learn if:

• you’re a parent under 20 at the start of your course
• you’re the main carer for your child
• you live in England
• you’re either a British citizen or a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country
• your course qualifies
• your childcare provider qualifies

Your course

Care to Learn is only available for publicly-funded courses in England. This includes courses that take place in:

• schools
• 6th forms in schools
• 6th form colleges
• other colleges and learning providers, including Foundation Learning
• your community at Children's Centres

Your learning provider can tell you if your course is eligible.

Your childcare provider

To qualify, your childcare provider must be registered with Ofsted.

They can be a:

• childminder
• preschool playgroup
• day nursery
• out of school club

If your child needs specialist childcare, the provider must also be on the Care Quality Commission’s register for specialist provision.

If you want a relative to get Care to Learn for looking after your child they need to be both:

• providing registered childcare for children they’re not related to
• living apart from you and your child

Who can’t get Care to Learn

You’re not eligible if:

• you’re an apprentice who gets a salary
• you’re doing a higher education course at university

Download the application form and guidance or contact Learner Support to apply.

Learner Support helpline
c2l@efalearnersupport.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 121 8989
Textphone: 0800 917 6048
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

What you need to know

You must choose your learning provider and childcare provider before you apply. They have to fill in parts of your application form for you.

Your childcare provider is paid from the beginning of your course if you apply either:

• before your course starts
• within 28 days of starting your course

If you apply after that, your childcare provider will only be paid from the beginning of the week that your application was received.

You need to complete a new application form for each year you claim.

Where to send the form

Care to Learn
Freepost RSLX-CAZR-RHLY
Learner Support Service
Birmingham
B24 9FD

Help

Contact Learner Support if you need advice or help with your application, or if you aren’t satisfied with how it was handled.

Learner Support helpline
c2l@efalearnersupport.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 121 8989
Minicom: 0800 917 6048
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

If you qualify

You’ll get a letter and a payment plan telling you what financial help you can get.

Your childcare provider will also get the payment plan, to let them know when they’ll be paid.

If you’re eligible for travel costs, your learning provider will be told about payments for this.

Your circumstances change

You need to complete a change of circumstances form if your details change. This includes changes to your:

• personal details
• childcare provider
• hours of childcare
• childcare fees
• travel costs
• course, learning programme or learning provider
• study hours (including private study or time to take exams)

To get the change of circumstances form call the Learner Support helpline.

Benefits

Claiming Care to Learn will not affect your or your family’s benefits or allowances.