Luton Borough Council

Information for parents and carers

The wraparound childcare programme is aimed at primary school aged children from reception to year 6. We're working with schools across the town to increase access to regular term-time childcare services:

between 8am and 6pm
Monday to Friday

The aim of the programme is not to provide free spaces but to make quality childcare more affordable, available and flexible to all who need it.

Wraparound childcare is paid for by parents and carers, but eligible parents and carers can claim support towards childcare costs through Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit

The programme commenced in September 2024, and we aim to increase places where there is demand by:

increasing the number of places at a provision already offering childcare hours between 8am and 6pm
expanding provisions where there was only a breakfast club or after school provision
expanding hours of an existing provision, for example, where they were offering 8am to 4.30pm to the full wraparound hours
creating new provisions

Schools with wraparound childcare places

The following schools already provide wraparound childcare places as defined by the programme:

If you're a parent or carer looking for wraparound childcare for children attending, or about to attend, a Luton school not listed above, the Family Information Service (FIS) can provide details of alternatives. These include breakfast and after school clubs that may still be able to provide childcare the suits your needs that don’t fall within the definition of the programme.

FIS contact details
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01582 548888

Financial support

Although the programme does not offer funded places, parents may be eligible for the following support.

Tax-Free childcare
Universal Credit childcare support

More information is also available at Childcare Choices providing information on childcare funding.

Tax-Free Childcare

Working families, including the self-employed and those earning at least £167 per week but under £100k can sign up to receive tax-free childcare.

For every £8 a parent pays into an online account, the government will add an extra £2, this is a saving of up to:

£2,000 per child per year
up to £4,000 per child if disabled

Tax-free childcare can be used with children aged up to 11 years or up to 16 if disabled, meaning that it can be used towards breakfast, after school and holiday clubs.

Parents using the scheme open an online childcare account which is used by the parent to pay the childcare provider directly.Payments work just as they do through an online bank account. Each payment is accompanied by a reference number for each child so payments can be identified.

You will need to sign up online, using the 11-digit user ID from your invitation letter. If you haven't got a letter, or have lost it, contact the helpline on 0300 123 4097.

Universal Credit childcare support

Working families claiming Universal Credit and not in receipt of Tax-Free childcare are able to receive financial help towards childcare costs (up to 85% of childcare costs paid back) for children under 17 years old. It can be used to help pay for breakfast, after school and holiday playschemes.

For further information please contact your Universal Credit work coach.

Care to learn

Young parents under the age of 20 at the start of their course (Higher education courses are not included) and meet the eligibility criteria may be able to get support with the cost of childcare while studying through the government’s Care to Learn scheme.

Support is available for publicly funded courses in England in:

colleges and sixth-form colleges
schools, academies and sixth forms in schools
training providers

In Luton, young parents may get up to £180 per child per week. Care to Learn helps with the cost of:

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

The childcare provider must either be:

registered with Ofsted
registered with a childminder agency
a school

They can be a:

childminder
pre-school playgroup
day nursery
out of school club

Details for applying can be found through the Student Bursary Support Service.

Additional funding on childcare funding can be found at Childcare Choices.