Help with childcare costs

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to get help with childcare costs. This could be through tax credits or through your employer, for example. You might also be eligible for help if you take part in New Deal for Lone Parents. However, to get help with childcare costs while taking part in a government programme, the childcare you use while on that programme must be registered:

• in England, by Ofsted (the government body that also inspects schools), or under the Childcare Approval Scheme
• in Wales, by the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales, or
• in Scotland, by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (known as the Care Commission).