Childcare Funding
We offer funded places for eligible children, including 15 and 30 hour funding. This is taken Term Time Only
15 Hours = 3 days a week 9:00 - 14:00
30 Hours = 5 days a week 9:00 - 15:00
Summer holidays
Please note we do open for four weeks of the summer holidays , find out more bellow.
To check what funding you may be eligible for and how to apply, visit Childcare Checker.
Voluntary Consumables Fee
When accessing funded hours at Special Steps, we ask for a voluntary consumables fee of £10 per day.
This helps cover essential daily resources and experiences that enhance your child's learning and development. The breakdown of this charge is as follows:
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | £1.00 |
| Afternon Snack | £1.00 |
| Word Well/ Eating as Learning/ Cherry Garden | £2.00 |
| Sensory Room/Sensory Equipment | £1.00 |
| Nappies | £2.00 |
| Sun cream / barrier creams/ wipes | £1.00 |
| Celebrations / trips out | £2.00 |
| Total | £10.00 |
Daily Charge for Non-Funded Days
On days where a child is not accessing government funding, our standard daily rate is £75 per day.
This charge is all-inclusive and covers breakfast, afternoon snack, personal care items and enrichment activities throughout the day. Please note this charge also applies to the summer holidays, if you choose to send your child during the four weeks that we are open during this time.
Where eligible you can use Tax Free childacre (-20%) and Universal credit Childcare Element (-85%) in order to get a reduction.
Hourly Fee
We charge £10 per hour for additional hours on funded days.
Early years Inclusion Funding
Some children may also be eligible for Early Years Inclusion Supplement Funding through Worcestershire County Council. This is additional funding paid to early years providers to help meet the extra costs of supporting children with SEND and disabilities.
At Special Steps, where eligible, this funding is used towards the additional support required for children with SEND, including:
- Targeted interventions
- Higher staffing ratios
- Specialist resources
- Observation and assessment
- Report writing such as EHCNA/EHCP paperwork
- Additional administrative requirements
- PEPs where applicable
- Working with parents and professionals
We apply for EYI funding for children where we feel they meet the Worcestershire County Council criteria, using our observations, assessments and graduated response evidence. Funding is not guaranteed and is decided by Worcestershire County Council.
You can find out more here: