Guidance

Childcare for Service children

Information on childcare for Service families within the UK and overseas.

From:
Ministry of Defence
Published
3 October 2018
Last updated
19 November 2024 — See all updates

Wraparound Childcare

Known as ‘Out of School Care’ in Wales and ‘School Age Childcare’ in Scotland.

Childcare is a concern that continues to be raised on behalf of Service families by the Families Federations and other stakeholders. The concern has been reflected in recent surveys carried out by the Families Federations, the wider Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) and the Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FAMCAS).

Feedback from AFCAS and FAMCAS highlighted that a lack of good quality, enriching and appropriate childcare has a significant impact on partner employment, which can influence Service personnels’ decisions on whether to stay in or leave the Armed Forces.

In recognition of the issues that some Service families face when trying to access wraparound childcare and its potential negative impact on retention, Defence launched the Wraparound Childcare (WAC) Scheme in September 2022.

Eligible Service personnel (Tri-Service) can register for up to 20 hours a week per child during term time only (39 weeks per year) of wraparound childcare funding for 4 to 11-year-old children (4 to 16 years if in receipt of certain disability benefits) attending before and after school childcare in the UK or eligible overseas locations.

Eligibility criteria for WAC

  • The scheme is open to regular and full-time reserve service (FTRS) (all commitment types) personnel. Service personnel will be eligible following their completion of Phase 1 training until their termination date.
  • The child for whom the Service person has parental responsibility must be aged 4 to 11 years (4 to 16 years if in receipt of certain disability benefits), must attend school (including home education) and be living with the serving person for at least 50% of the time unless separated due to Service commitments (deployment, residential courses), or when serving on unaccompanied assignments overseas with the family remaining in the UK.
  • An active Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account must be set up with HRMC for each child that a Service person wants to claim funding for. Active means that you reconfirm your account every 3 months and receive the 20% top-up from HMRC when you add money into the account.
  • The childcare provider must also be signed up to the TFC scheme and be able to accept TFC payments.
  • The Service parent has either an assignment order to a UK-based unit, or is serving on an unaccompanied assignment overseas with the family remaining in the UK.
  • The Service person and their partner (or a sole parent in a single parent family) must be in paid employment, self-employed, starting or re-starting work within the next 31 days, and have a weekly income equivalent to at least 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage.
  • Both parents (or a sole parent in a single parent family) must each have an adjusted net income of £100,000 or less per annum.

Eligibility criteria for WAC Overseas (WAC(O))

  • The scheme is open to regular and full-time reserve service (FTRS) (all commitment types) personnel. Service personnel will be eligible following their completion of Phase 1 training until their termination date.
  • The Service person has an assignment to a location within the European Economic Area and Switzerland (EEA&S) or uses a Defence Children Services (DCS) school or setting overseas for before and after school childcare.
  • The child for whom the Service person has parental responsibility must be aged 4 to 11 years (4 to 16 years if in receipt of certain disability benefits), must attend school (including home education) and be living with the Serving person for at least 50% of the time unless separated due to service commitments (deployment, residential courses).
  • An active Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account must be in place with HMRC for each child that a Service person wants to claim funding for, whether using DCS or host nation childcare providers. Active means that you reconfirm your account every 3 months and receive the 20% top-up from HMRC when you add money into the account, or receive the 20% top-up from the manual TFC process if using host nation childcare providers.
  • If using host nation providers, the provider must be registered, regulated and inspected by host nation authorities.
  • The Service person and their partner (or a sole parent in a single parent family) must be in paid employment, be self-employed, starting or re-starting work within the next 31 days and have a weekly income equivalent to at least 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage.
  • Both partners (or a sole parent in a single parent family) must have an adjusted net income of £100,000 or less per annum each.

How to claim

Service families can check if they are eligible for WAC and find out how claim funding by searching ‘Wraparound Childcare’ on the Discover My Benefits website.

Contact

For more information on WAC visit: Defence childcare information (accessible by MOD personnel only) or Defence Connect (sign-in required).

United Kingdom (UK)

There are a number of childcare options for parents to choose from. Parents should go to Childcare Choices for further information and guidance on all available government childcare schemes.

England

For the current offer in England and guidance, parents should visit Childcare Choices.

You can also check to see if you’re eligible for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC). You can get TFC at the same time as 15 or 30 hours’ free childcare if you’re eligible for both.

Scotland

For the current childcare offer in Scotland and information about early learning and childcare (ELC), parents should visit: Parent Club or mygov.scot.

Wales

For the current childcare offer in Wales, parents should visit the Welsh Government website.

Northern Ireland

For the current childcare offer in Northern Ireland and guidance, parents should contact 38 (Irish) Brigade at RC-AWS-38X-0mailbox@mod.gov.uk.

Returning from overseas or moving within the UK

30 hours’ free childcare codes are not valid overseas.

If you are returning from overseas or moving within the UK, please visit Childcare Choices to find out what is available in your area. The application process and deadlines may vary.

Moving to England

It’s not possible to apply for additional funded childcare online when you are outside the UK. If you are due to return to England after a term deadline, you can call the Childcare Service Helpline on 0300 123 4097 to apply for a free childcare code and request a manual application.

Information on term deadlines and when to apply can be found in DIN - Funded childcare entitlements and processes for overseas Service personnel and UK-Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) with accompanying pre-school-aged children (accessible by MOD personnel only).

Moving to Scotland

Funded early learning and childcare is free to all parents and is funded by the Scottish Government. You can get up to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year (around 30 hours a week in term time) if your child is 3 or 4 years old. Some 2-year-old children are also eligible.

For more information, please visit Help paying for childcare.

Moving to Wales

Wales provides 30 hours a week of free early education and childcare for working parents of children aged 3 and 4 years, for 48 weeks of the year. Applications are processed directly by each local authority’s Family Information Service (FIS) where the parents live.

Find your local family information service here.

Moving to Northern Ireland

Parents of children aged 3 and 4 years can apply to receive 12.5 hours a week of free, also known as ‘funded’ pre-school education. This allocation can only be taken over 2.5 hours per day, 5 days a week during term time.

Places are provided by nursery schools, primary schools with nursery units and some voluntary and private providers. The places cannot be provided by childminders.

For more information, please visit NI Direct.

Overseas

In overseas locations, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides services (or access to services) that, so far as is reasonably practicable, conform in type, scope and standard to that required by legislation in England.

15 and 30 hours’ free childcare

From September 2024 in Defence Children Services (DCS)-provided settings overseas, parents with children aged 9 months to 4 years can access 15 or 30 hours’ funded childcare (depending on eligibility).

To apply for 15 or 30 hours’ funded childcare, visit: DIN - Funded childcare entitlements and processes for overseas Service personnel and UK-Based Civil Servants (UKBCs) with accompanying pre-school-aged children (accessible by MOD personnel only).

Applications should be forwarded to the relevant setting or school for approval and recording.

Overseas Nursery Authority (ONA)

From September 2024, parents of 3 and 4-year-old children in overseas locations where DCS schools and settings are not available can apply for reimbursement of funded childcare hours by means of ONA.

For more information, please visit Overseas Nursery Authority (ONA).

Childcare vouchers

The Childcare Voucher Scheme is a salary sacrifice scheme, which closed to new joiners in October 2018.

Armed Forces families can visit the MOD childcare website for more information about the Childcare Voucher Scheme. DIN 2017DIN01-092 applies.

MOD civilian families can contact Edenred’s customer service team by:

Childcare vouchers can only be used at schools and settings that are MOD-approved, regulated and inspected.

Tax-Free Childcare

Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) is a government scheme introduced on 21 April 2017 to help working parents with the cost of childcare and will, over time, replace the Armed Forces Childcare Voucher Scheme. Parents have the option to open an online account, which they can use to pay for childcare from an accredited and registered provider.

Parents can visit the Childcare Choices website to register. For further information, visit Tax-Free Childcare (TFC). You can also use this step by step guide to claiming TFC.

While overseas, TFC can only be used at nurseries or by childminders that are MOD-provided (regulated and inspected). DIN - Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) Scheme for eligible working parents applies.

Claim for Government TFC top up

If eligible for TFC and assigned to an overseas location within the European Economic Area (and Switzerland), where there is no access to MOD-provided schools and settings, parents will be able to claim TFC top-up via a manual process.

An explanation of the process and the application form is contained within DIN - Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) Scheme for eligible working parents (accessible by MOD personnel only). A copy of the application form can also be obtained by emailing PEOPLE-AFFS-Child-Expenses@mod.gov.uk.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

The Department of Education announced that from September 2014 funding would be made available to enable state funded schools in England to offer a free meal to every primary school pupil in Reception classes, Year 1 and Year 2.

Service children in schools overseas in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 or their national equivalent are entitled to a free school meal. In some locations the schools will provide the meal, but in others this may not be possible due to local conditions or restrictions. This provision is offered in line with English government legislation.

DIN - Universal Infant Free School Meals applies.

Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)

To be eligible for TFC or Free Childcare for Working Parents (FCWP), a person (and their partner if they have one) must be in qualifying paid work - either employed or self-employed. Couples where one partner is in qualifying paid work and the other receives a qualifying benefit for caring, incapacity for work or limited capability for work may also be eligible. A single person getting a qualifying benefit for caring, incapacity for work or limited capability for work won’t be eligible.   

AFIP is not a qualifying benefit for caring, incapacity for work or limited capability for work when applying for TFC or FCWP. However, the parent getting AFIP may still be eligible for TFC or FCWP if they apply for contributions-based Employment and Support Allowance and receive a payment or get a nil award.

Updates to this page

Published 3 October 2018
Last updated 19 November 2024 + show all updates

  1. Added 'Eligibility criteria for WAC overseas'. Updated 'Eligibility criteria for WAC UK'.

  2. Updated information under 'Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)'.

  3. Updated 'Returning from overseas or moving within the UK', '15 and 30 hours' free childcare' and 'Overseas Nursery Authority (ONA)'.

  4. Updated with most recent information.

  5. 'Wraparound childcare' section updated.

  6. Updated guidance under 'Tax-Free Childcare' heading.

  7. Updates made to the Wraparound Childcare section.

  8. Added links to the 2 new cluster forms.

  9. Updated the wraparound childcare section to include information on Lincolnshire and Woolwich pilots.

  10. Updated the wraparound childcare section.

  11. New DIN links have been added for: 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare, Overseas Nursery Authority and Universal Infant Free School Meals.

  12. Updated: RAF pilot with wraparound childcare DIN 2021DIN01-046.

  13. Added a link to DIN 2020DIN01-118 (Catterick wraparound childcare pilot information).

  14. Added wraparound childcare application forms for Plymouth and Catterick areas.

  15. Added a note to confirm that information about phase 2 of the WAC pilot (Plymouth and Catterick) will be available soon.

  16. Updated the details under the 'Scotland' heading.

  17. Updated the information under the Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) heading.

  18. Added an application form for wraparound childcare.

  19. Added a short announcement about the Free ‘wraparound’ childcare for the armed forces.

  20. Added a new weblink and updated the text under Overseas Nursery Allowance (ONA).

  21. Updated with latest information including a section on Armed Forces Independence Payments (AFIP).

  22. Added a link to the step by step Tax-Free Children guidance page.

  23. Updated the page with more information regarding Tax free childcare.

  24. Updated internal links and the link to Welsh Government website.

  25. Added a section on returning from overseas or moving within the UK.

  26. First published.

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