Your Life

Care to Learn

Care to Learn

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Care to Learn - Town 102 FM / The Beach

What is 'Care to Learn'?

'Care to Learn' is a scheme for young parents under the age of 20.

It can help with the costs of childcare and travel while young parents study.

"I'm achieving my goals", says Beth

Beth, 17, used Care to Learn to pay for her son's nursery while she gained her GCSEs. Beth is now in her second year of a hairdressing course and achieving her goals. Read Beth's story in full

Contact Care to Learn

  • Phone 0800 121 8989 (Lines are open 7.00-8.00pm Monday to Friday)

How Care to Learn can help

If you're a young parent, Care to Learn can help with the costs of childcare and travel while you're studying. What you study is up to you, but you'll have peace of mind that your child is safe and being looked after.

Care to Learn will provide up to £160 per child per week towards childcare costs.

Your first step is to contact Care to Learn (details shown above), or get in touch with your Connexions Personal Adviser

What you can learn

It's entirely up to you.

You could take a short course, that lasts for just a few days, or a longer one which lasts for years. Your course could be part time or full time.

Studying can help you gain confidence and independence, meet new people and make new friends and increase your chances of getting a good job and higher pay.

For more information, read the article 'Choices at 16: what's right for you' or contact Connexions Direct:

Who looks after your child

Allowing another person to look after your child is a big decision, so Care to Learn gives you several choices.

For example, you can use Care to Learn to pay for childcare at any of the following places:

  • Childminder
  • Pre-school playgroup
  • Day nursery
  • Out of school club
  • Other registered childcare (such as your college nursery or crèche)

Whichever childcarer you choose, that carer must be registered. Registered childcare providers must meet national standards, and are inspected each year to make sure they are providing good quality care.

Choosing childcare (parents section)

For more information:

Find out if you qualify

You can claim Care to Learn funding if you live in England, and can answer "yes" to the following 4 questions:

(1) Are you under 20 years old?

You must be under 20 years old, at least on the day your study programme begins.

If you are over 20, you could get help from your college’s Learner Support Fund, or from the Sixth Form College Childcare Scheme.

(2) Are you caring for your own child or children?

You can claim Care to Learn either as the child’s father or mother, as long as the other parent is unable to provide childcare (because, for example, they are working), and the other parent is not claiming Childcare Tax Credit.

(3) Does your learning qualify?

To receive Care to Learn you must be in, or considering starting, learning that has SOME PUBLIC FUNDING.

Your options include:

  • Courses in schools, sixth forms, sixth form colleges, other colleges and learning providers
  • Entry to Employment programmes
  • Work based learning programmes (non-employed status)
  • Courses in your community, for example at Children’s Centres, or some other form of community learning

Please note that funding is for courses in England only, and that University and higher education courses are not covered by Care to Learn.

More information on help with childcare costs in higher education

(4) Is your childcare registered?

To get Care to Learn, you must use a childcare provider which is registered with Ofsted.

What it pays for

Care to Learn will pay up to £160 per child per week to cover the cost of:

  • Childcare while you learn, are on placement, doing private study or travelling to/from your childcare provider
  • Any registration fees (up to £80) and any deposit normally charged (up to £250)
  • A childcare taster and/or settling your child in before the learning starts
  • Childcare fees you may need to pay during holidays
  • Additional travel costs you may have to pay in order to take your child to the childcare provider

Circumstances changing?

You will need to complete a 'Change of Circumstances Form' if your learning, childcare or home address change while you are receiving Care to Learn.

Care to Learn Change of Circumstances Form

Other benefits/allowances

Care to Learn will not affect your own or your family's benefits or allowances. You do not have to be on benefits in order to claim it.

How to apply

To get help with childcare during your learning, apply for Care to Learn as soon as you decide what you want to do, because you must make sure you begin learning before you reach your 20th birthday if you want to benefit from the scheme.

To apply, you need to call 0800 121 8989 for an application form. Ask your Connexions Adviser, parent, carer or other adviser to help with this.

The form must be completed and signed by:

  • You
  • Your learning provider (school, college or training provider)
  • Your childcare provider

You will need to take your child’s birth certificate, or your child benefit book, for the learning provider to photocopy.

The childcare provider will also need to submit a copy of their OfSTED registration certificate with the application.

After you apply

When the Care to Learn team get your signed form they will check that it is fully completed.

If it is, they will write to you within five working days to notify you and your childcare provider of the payments that they will receive and when they will get them.

They will also tell you how much travel support will be paid to the first learning provider on your form to help with your transport costs.

If you do not provide the information needed to approve the application, it will be returned to you with a request for the missing information. This request may come by email (if you have given an email address) or be sent to you in the post.

Where to send your form

Send Care to Learn application (and change of circumstances if appropriate) to:

  • Care to Learn
  • Freepost RSAX-RXKX-GZBZ
  • Learner Support Service
  • Manchester
  • M3 3JZ

Remember, it's FREEPOST so you won't need a stamp.

Useful links

Still unsure if you qualify?

Contact the Care to Learn Helpline

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News Flash!

Last year (2008-09) young people were able to claim Care to Learn support for volunteering opportunities.

This year (2009-10) the rules have changed slightly. Young people can still claim Care to Learn support for volunteering, however the support MUST be part of a course or as part of gaining a qualification.

If you have any questions please contact Hannah Frost, Information Assistant.


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