ESFA ups childcare cash for young parents as demand falls

Care to Learn allocations rise by £20 per week but data indicates falling demand for subsidies

Care to Learn allocations rise by £20 per week but data indicates falling demand for subsidies

26 Apr 2023, 17:16

More from this author

Bursaries to cover childcare costs for young parents so they can stay in education have been boosted, as data shows the numbers of claimants are plummeting.

Care to Learn cash is paid to parents aged up to 20 who continue with their studies by helping fund childcare costs.

In an update this week, the Education and Skills Funding Agency confirmed the maximum amount has increased from £160 per child per week to £180, or an increase from £175 per week to £195 per week in London.

Official data up to 2021/22 indicated that take-up of the subsidies had fallen dramatically in eight years, with demand now a fifth of 2013/14 levels.

Figures for 2021/22 showed there were 1,052 claimants with allocations totalling £4.6 million. That compares to the 5,674 claiming in 2013/14, where total payments exceeded £24.5 million.

The government previously told FE Week that a fall in teenage pregnancy rates had reduced demand.

But concerns were raised in 2020 by the National Union of Students that the complexities around claiming the cash were also to blame, prompting the union to call for a simplification of the system and extension of eligibility to include apprentices, who are excluded as they earn a salary.

Funding rules dictate that the young parent, the education institution they attend and their childcare provider must all be eligible in order for the cash to be paid.

Learners must also submit a fresh application every year, even if their programme runs for more than one year.

According to the rules, parents must be under the age of 20 on the first day of their study programme, be the main carer and be in receipt of Child Benefit to be eligible.

Their study programme must have some direct public funding, and can include GCSEs, A-levels, BTECs, short programmes, further education programmes in higher education institutions, and foundation HE courses at FE providers.

HE courses at HE providers, apprenticeships, and higher technical qualifications are not in scope.

Latest education roles from

Chief Education Officer (Deputy CEO)

Chief Education Officer (Deputy CEO)

Romero Catholic Academy Trust

Director of Academy Finance and Operations

Director of Academy Finance and Operations

Ormiston Academies Trust

Principal & Chief Executive

Principal & Chief Executive

Truro & Penwith College

Group Director of Marketing, Communications & External Engagement

Group Director of Marketing, Communications & External Engagement

London & South East Education Group

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Supporting the UK’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan Through Skills

The UK Government’s Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain strategy sets a legally binding path towards a net-zero transport...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Project power: ASDAN expands its qualifications portfolio

From 2026, ASDAN’s planned Foundation and Higher Project Qualifications will sit alongside its Extended Project Qualification[CM1] , creating a complete...

Advertorial
ATAs

Spotlight on excellence: Nominations now open for the Apprenticeship & Training Awards 2026

Nominations are open for the 2026 Apprenticeship & Training Awards, celebrating outstanding employers and providers with national recognition, a...

FE Week Reporter
Sponsored post

Funding Adult Green Skills

New sources of funding are available to finance the delivery of green skills to all learners. Government policy is...

Tyler Palmer

More from this theme

16-19

New ‘youth panel’ to help shape government policies

The panel's insights will be fed back to ministers and senior officials

Josh Mellor
16-19, Colleges, English and maths

‘Significant disadvantage gap’ in GCSE resits revealed

EPI calls for ‘targeted reforms’ to help students ‘who feel trapped on the resit treadmill’

Billy Camden
16-19

Youth NEET numbers remain ‘stubbornly high’

Behind the numbers are young people facing mental health issues and long term unemployment

Josh Mellor
16-19, Careers

Mayors spending on youth to Get Britain Working

Some areas are investing in better systems to track whether young people stay in work or training as they...

Josh Mellor

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply