30 hours funded childcare in Greenwich: what you actually get, and what nurseries don't tell you

I have lost count of the number of families who have come to us confused, frustrated, or just quietly relieved to finally get a straight answer about the 30 hours funding. Before I set up Blossoming Minds, I worked as a nurse and midwife for years. I know what it is to sit with a family in an uncertain moment and just tell them the truth. That is what I want to do here.

What the 30 hours funding actually is

If you have a three or four year old, they are automatically entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week, regardless of your income or working pattern. That is the universal offer, and it applies to everyone.

The 30 hours is a separate entitlement for working families. To qualify, you and your partner (if you have one) each need to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the national living wage. There are upper income limits too: if either parent earns over £100,000, you lose the entitlement. The exact threshold changes each year when the living wage is updated, so the government's Childcare Choices website is the right place to check your eligibility - it takes a few minutes.

The funding itself is paid directly to the nursery by the local authority. It covers a set hourly rate. What it does not cover is everything else.

The gap between the funding rate and the real cost

This is the part I wish more nurseries were upfront about, because the gap between what Greenwich pays nursery providers per hour and what it actually costs to run a quality early years setting is real and significant. It is not a Greenwich-specific problem - it is the same across England.

To make up the difference, most nurseries charge additional fees on top of the funded hours. These are sometimes called "consumables" and might include:

• Meals and snacks
• Nappies and wipes
• Arts and crafts materials
• Trips and outings
• Admin or registration fees

These charges are legal. Nurseries just cannot make them a condition of accessing the funded hours in the first place. But the way they are communicated - or not communicated - varies enormously.

Before you commit to any nursery, ask for a written breakdown of what is and is not included in their funded place. It is a completely reasonable question, and any nursery worth its salt should be able to answer it clearly.

Term-time or stretched - what suits your family?

The 30 hours is technically available for 38 weeks a year, in line with the school term calendar. But if you work year-round, that pattern might not suit you at all.

Many nurseries, including us, offer a stretched version where the total funded hours are spread across the full year rather than concentrated into term time. You get fewer funded hours per week, but your child has a consistent place and routine throughout the year. For families where both parents work through the summer or over half terms, that consistency can matter a great deal - both for the child and for your own planning.

At Blossoming Minds, we offer both options. You can find the details on our fees and funding page, or just ask when you come to see us.

What the hours actually look like in practice

Not all funded places are created equal. Some nurseries attach the funded hours to specific session windows - mornings only, say, or particular days - which limits your flexibility. It is worth asking whether the hours can be spread across a full day, and what days are available for funded children.

It is also worth thinking ahead. If your child is already with us when they turn three and their funded hours kick in, that can sometimes involve a change in days or session patterns. We always plan this with families well in advance. The last thing I want is for a child to feel unsettled because of an admin change they did not understand.

The expanded offer for younger children

The funded hours have expanded significantly in recent years. As of September 2025, eligible working parents can now access 30 hours of funded childcare from when their child is nine months old. That is the same entitlement as for three and four year olds - available from well before their first birthday, for families who meet the working eligibility criteria. A lot of families do not yet know this.

Funded places for younger children fill up quickly - we are seeing this in SE10 and across Greenwich generally. If you think you might be eligible, it is worth checking sooner rather than later and speaking to nurseries early. Once funded places are full, they are full - there is no holding a spot while you decide.

Questions worth asking before you commit

• What additional charges apply on top of the funded hours?
• Are meals included, or charged separately?
• Can the funded hours be used flexibly, or are they tied to specific sessions?
• Do you offer stretched hours across the full year?
• If my child is already attending, how will the move to funded hours affect their routine?

These are not difficult questions. They are the right ones. Any nursery running funded places should be able to answer them without hesitation.

What we believe funded hours should mean

I feel strongly about this. A child attending on funded hours should not receive a lesser version of nursery. At Blossoming Minds, a funded child gets the same fresh meals our chef prepares every day, the same time outside in all weathers, the same key person who knows their name and their quirks and their favourite book. The funding model should be invisible to the child. It is an arrangement between us and the local authority - it has nothing to do with the quality of what your little one experiences here.

If you would like to see that for yourself, book a show-around and come and have a proper look around. Or if you would prefer something more relaxed as a first step, our free Stay and Play runs every Wednesday morning from 10am - just turn up with your little one and see how it feels.