Care to Learn Scheme

Care to Learn (C2L) Guidelines

1. PURPOSE OF CARE TO LEARN

C2L provides funding for childcare to help young parents (defined as those aged under 20) continue in education after the birth of a child. The scheme provides funding childcare whilst the young parent is engaged in a study programme and is not able to provide fare for their child. It can also help the young parent with any additional travel costs involved un taking the child to the childcare provider. C2L can also provide funding for their childcare whilst you parents are on work placement or industry placements, where these are a defined part of the study programme.

2. THE YOUNG PARENT

Age
The Young parent must be under 20 years old on the date they start their study programme. Young parents who become 20 years old during their study programme can continue to get funding to the end of that specific study programme, so to the end of the same programme at the same level.

Main Carer for the child(ren)
The Young parent must be the main carer and in receipt of Child Benefit for the child(ren) for whom they are claiming C2L. If a young parent loses custody for their child(ren), even temporarily, they must notify the College immediately. The mother or father of the child can claim C2L as long as:

• the other parent is unable to provide childcare, for example, they are also in education or are absent
• the other parent is not claiming childcare paid through any other source for example, government funded early years places or Childcare Tax Credits.

3. RESIDENCY

In summary only, to be eligible for C2L, the young parent must have the legal right to be resident in the UK at the start of their study programme. If a young parent indicates that they are not a British or Irish citizen, they will only be eligible for C2L if one of the following immigration conditions applies:

They are an asylum seeker aged:

• under 18
• 18 or over and a care leaver aged 18 to 19 (they must include an original letter from the local authority that shows their address and confirms they are a care leaver with their application)

They have:

• refugee status
• humanitarian protection
• discretionary leave to remain
• indefinite leave to remain
• indefinite leave to enter
• limited leave to remain
• limited leave to enter
• leave outside the rules

4. STUDY PROGRAMME

The student’s study programme must have some direct public finding.

Examples of study programme that young parents receiving C2L are enrolled on include:

• school and college study programmes including GCSEs, A levels, BTECs
• non-accredited day sessions and short programmes such as first aid, healthy eating and parenting
• FE study programmes in a higher education (HE) institution, including access courses and diplomas
• foundation HE courses where they are followed at an FE institution, for example, a BTEC diploma.

5. ELIGIBILITY: CHILDCARE PROVISION

C2L only pays for childcare provision that is appropriately registered with Ofsted. It must be registered in one of the following ways:

• on the early years register with either Ofsted or a childminder agency
• on the compulsory and / or voluntary part of the general childcare register with either Ofsted registration for children aged 2+ such as a school-run breakfast and afterschool clubs, and holiday care.

Where a childcare provider is related to the child, the childcare provider must:

• live apart from the child
• be providing registered childcare for other children who are not related at the same time as the child they are related to
• be Ofsted registered

6. ATTENDANCE AT COLLEGE

The College will make payments for childcare while the student is attending their study programme and the child is in childcare. This rule excludes the summer retainer, where that applies.

Student can claim C2L for independent study time where it is required as part of their study programme to complete coursework, undertake revision or homework. The amount of independent study time that is appropriate must be agreed between the College, childcare provider and the student.

C2L will support time needed to undertake work experience and industry placement but only where these have been identified as an integral part of the study programme.

Costs associated with independent study time, work experience and industry placements must be included as part of the C2L weekly maximum amount (£180 per child per week) – they are not extra.

All funding support is subject to satisfactory feedback from tutors and an attendance record of at least 85%. We understand that some students may not be able to achieve 85% due to exceptional circumstances and therefore eligibility regarding attendance may be looked at on an individual basis. The attendance threshold is set across the whole study programme (including GCSE English/maths, if applicable).

If a students attendance falls below 90% across all their timetabled sessions, we will contact them and their parent(s)/carer(s) to let them know their bursary entitlement may be at risk if attendance does not improve. If attendance falls below 85% across all timetabled sessions, we may withhold bursary support. Students will be notified in advance of support being stopped.

7. CHILDCARE PAYMENTS

C2L will pay towards the cost of childcare up to a maximum of £180 per child per week or up to a maximum of £180 per child per week. This amount must be paid direct to the Childcare provider. The only exception to this rule is in exceptional circumstances where a student as already paid some childcare fees before the College has fully completed assessment of their C2L application.

C2L will support childcare hours in reasonable excess of the study programme hours to allow time for the student’s travel between the educational institution and the childcare provider, and for any independent study time taken, within the maximum weekly amount. Decisions about the number of childcare hours supported wilk be taken by the College, taking account of the specific study programme requirements and location of the student’s home, the institution, and the childcare provider.

8. DEPOSITS AND REGISTRATION FEES

C2L can pay deposits of up to a maximum of £250 per child if the childcare provider requires this.

C2L will also pay any registration fees that are charged by the childcare provider, up to a maximum of £80 per child. This is a one-off payment that does not form part of the weekly maximum rate and will not be paid for subsequent academic years of the student uses the same childcare provision.

9. SUMMER RETAINERS

Summer retainers can be paid to childcare providers, if required, to hold the childcare place over the summer holiday period. This only applies if a student is finishing study in one year and continuing their study in the next academic year. The young parent and their study programme must continue to meet the eligibility criteria for a summer retainer to be payable.

To be eligible for the summer retainer for summer 2026, the student must:

• have received C2L funding in academic year 2025 to 2026 and be intending to return to the study programme in academic year 2026 to 2027
• be on a study programme that has lasted for 6 weeks or more in academic year 2025 to 2026
• be on a study programme that finishes no earlier than 26 May 2026
• be intending to continue with the same childcare provider they using during the academic year 2025 to 2026
• have been using the childcare provider for a minimum of 6 weeks

Summer retainers can be paid for a maximum of 8 weeks with the amount per week not exceeding the C2L weekly maximum rates. If the education institution has a longer summer break than the normal you have discretion to pay a summer retainer for a further 2 weeks.

10. TRAVEL PAYMENTS

C2L will pay for travel costs, where appropriate if these are necessary for the student to take their child(ren) between childcare and home. Travel costs are only paid if they are additional to the student’s normal travel costs from home to the education institution. Travel costs must not be paid where the childcare takes place on the same site as the study programme.

Travel should be by the cheapest means of transport available; this is normally public transport. If the cheapest means is by car, petrol costs will be paid at £0.25 per mile.

The total of childcare and travel costs must not exceed the C2L maximum weekly amount.

11. COMPLAINTS OR APPEALS

If your application is rejected you have the right to appeal the decision. This appeal should be made to Sarah-Jayne Lee. Please explain in detail the reasons for the appeal. This will be dealt with in accordance with the college’s appeal procedure.

12. OTHER SOURCES OF CHILDCARE SUPPORT AND C2L

Information about other sources of childcare support is provided on childcare choices, which includes a childcare calculator for parents to compare all the government’s childcare offers and check what works best for their families.

Personal Details

Childcare Details

Travel Support Required

Uploads

Please upload all pages of the evidence required.

You can upload multiple files. Please select the type of document being uploaded from the supplied list. Then select a file to upload and click the Upload button.

Please ensure all files you wish to submit are listed in the table at the bottom of this section.

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Declaration

Please read the following information and confirm that you understand these points

• I confirm that I have read and understood the guidance notes detailed above
• I confirm that I do not have any conflict of interest with the childcare provider eg a family relationship or shareholding
• I understand that the childcare funding is provided by the Care to Learn fund, through the college
• I understand that childcare payments are subject to attendance at college and that I am liable for any outstanding fees
• I understand that I am required to provide the College with a copy of Birth Certificates for the above child(ren)

Appealing a decision when the application for support has been declined

Students can submit an appeal if their application has been declined. The applicant will be asked to state the reason for the appeal and may be asked to provide further evidence to support the claim and confirm aspects of the bursary that are most important.

As there are limited funds and high volumes of applications for bursary support, the college may not be in a position to award the full bursary. Appeals are assessed on an individual basis, and therefore not all successful appeals with include all items included in a full bursary.

Appeals will be reviewed and a decision will be made and you will be notified by email within 10 working days.

If you are unhappy with any aspects of the services you have received from the Student Finance Team, then please email lees@bpc.ac.uk.

The information you provide on this application form will be used for the purposes of supporting your education through the provision of funding via the Bournemouth and Poole College’s Student Finance Schemes as outlined in The College’s approved Student Finance Policy (FE). It will be shared internally within the college and externally to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). These organisations will collect and share this information with other organisations for the purposes of administration, careers and other guidance, statistical and research purposes. In signing this application form you give your consent to the use of your personal data in this way.

Before submitting your application

Please make certain that all questions have been completed correctly and you have uploaded all of the pages of the correct evidence, which is within date. Failure to do this will result in a delay in being able to process the application.