Care to Learn: up to £195 a week for childcare for young parents

Care to Learn is a scheme for young parents who want to carry on with their education. It pays for childcare and related travel while the parent studies, so that a pregnancy or a young child need not mean dropping out of school or college.

Who can get help?

You qualify if you are under 20 at the start of your course and studying a publicly funded course in England — at a school, sixth form or college. The scheme does not affect your family's benefits or allowances, so it will not reduce them.

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How much does it pay?

The maximum depends on where you live: up to £180 a week per child outside London and up to £195 a week per child in London. These are ceilings — in practice it pays the cost of your childcare up to that limit.

Who gets the money?

The payment goes directly to your childcare provider, not to you. It works like this: first your provider confirms your child attended, then your education provider confirms you are attending your course, and only then is the payment made. So it matters not to miss classes — without confirmed attendance there is no payment.

What childcare counts?

Only registered childcare qualifies — for example an Ofsted-registered nursery or a childminder. Care by close relatives usually does not count. Care to Learn can also cover the cost of your child's travel to the childcare.

How do you apply?

You apply online; your place of study has a coordinator who helps with the forms and confirms your attendance. Apply early, before the course starts, so childcare is paid from your first day. If you turn 20 during the course, payments usually continue to the end of the academic year under the scheme's rules — check the details when you apply.